


last time

by rb101



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Clexa, Do over - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Gen, Mount Weather, Slow Burn, The 100 - Freeform, The Ark, The Delinquents, Time Travel, first kiss is chp 23 dont kill me, grounders, mainly Clarke POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 47,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25461667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rb101/pseuds/rb101
Summary: Clarke Griffin is killed for the death of Lexa, but just as she thinks it's all over she wakes up back in her cell on the ark. When she gets set back to the ground she realises she's living the last year all over again.
Relationships: Abby Griffin/Marcus Kane, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Finn Collins/Raven Reyes, Octavia Blake/Lincoln, Octavia Blake/Raven Reyes
Comments: 113
Kudos: 673





	1. one

Clarke returned to Arkadia broken. She had just lost the love of her life. Lexa had been shot in the stomach by a bullet that was meant for her. She couldn't save her and as a result the twelve clans lost their commander. The blond fled Polis with the help of Titus who was afraid of her safety after their Heda died. What she didn't know was he wasn't helping her out of grief, but malicious, he was going to paint her as the killer. Wanheda had killed Heda. 

"Clarke?" Jaha stood at the gates of the camp. He had just returned from a pointless journey discovering that the city of light was nothing but a story. There would be no life beyond death or whatever he was in search of, this was all they had.

"Get away from me Jaha." Clarke spat at him, she wanted nothing to do with anyone, especially with him. The only reason she'd come back to the ark was to warn her people that the grounders were going to attack after the death of their heda. She entered the camp with her head held as high as she could manage and pushed the pain down so she could focus. 

"Clarke?" Bellamy called out to her. He ran her way and if it wasn't for the intimidating look in her eye wrapped her in a hug, but instead he took the step back and tried to read the emotions on her face.

"You killed her; this is your fault. You and Pike killed the grounders and now she's dead." Clarke raised her hand and without a second thought connected her fist to his jaw. He stumbled back as one of his hands went to his cheek and before he could regain his balance, she punched him again. This time he was knocked onto the floor. As his body hit the ground, she was on top of him. Sitting on his chest while repeatedly hitting him. The only thing Bellamy could do was protect his own face. 

"Clarke calm down." She was so mad she couldn't even tell who was holding her. 

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you." She spat at him and before she could turn on whoever was holding her the world went dark. 

...

"Mom?" Clarke woke to the sounds of her mother’s voice, it calmed her while raising some anxiety. Where was she and why did she pass out?

"Clarke, stay laying baby." Abby joined her and sat by the side of her bed in the chair. "You had a pretty big episode out there." She said running her hands through her daughter’s blond hair. Clarke felt uncomfortable just being inside the ark, she had spent so long in the woods and then in Polis this wasn't home anymore and after what Pike, Bellamy and their men did she didn't want it to be. Home was a person and because of them she lost it. 

"I need to see Kane." Clarke tried to sit but her mom forced her to lay. "Mom, I don't have time for this." The anger rising again, pushing past her mom she gained her balance and made her way to the meeting room where she hoped she'd find Kane. 

"Clarke, please calm down." Abby said still following Clarke, but her pleas fell upon deaf ears as she entered the room. 

"Clarke, is there something we can help you with?" Pike asked looking at her with a smug look. She felt sick after everything that happened this was the last thing she wanted. He stood in front a group of her people. Reading over maps and certain plans written out, she could only guess plans of attack for the war he had brought on. 

"You've killed us all." She stated.

"What do you mean?" He asked not looking worried, he was almost mocking her, what would a girl know that he couldn't. 

"You do realize that the hundreds of people you killed weren't her warriors, right? They weren't the ones trained from birth to kill. They were protectors, healers, children, and you killed them. For no reason. Their warriors and mad and they want blood, and you must listen to that. You brought upon the clans who wanted peace." The group of people in the room watched on confused to what the blond was struggling to get across. "Lexa is dead and now we are too." 

"What happened?" Kane asked standing up, he knew the commander and he also knew that she was the only reason the grounders hadn't attacked yet. 

"Kane gets it, Lexa was killed today. Many will say because of me. But you are a day away from an attack on the camp and no matter what fire power you think you have, they'll kill you." Her eyes and voice were stained with anger and everyone felt her threat. 

"What can we do?" Abby asked. 

"God you don't get it do you. Nothing." She threw her hands down on the table, causing most people to jump. "You wasted every chance we had at peace. You finally get what you want, a fight with the grounders. But I can promise you, it'll result in your death." Clarke went to walk out of the room but was pulled back in by Pikes voice.

"Whose side are you on?" He gnarled at her, as he did with the students on the ark when they did something wrong. This once scared Clarke but she wasn't scared of anything anymore. 

"I was on the side of peace. The one where we could have been the thirteenth clan and lived not only survived. The one where I didn't have to explain to a group of grown adults what peace meant." She took a dig at everyone in the room and watched their reactions. "The one where my girlfriend doesn't die in my arms." She finally left the room feeling it all get to her. 

...

Clarke's stomach dropped as she exited the ark the next morning and saw the lit fires surrounding their camp from the grounders. The chants coming from the woods made her physically ill. 

"Jus drein jus daun." Blood must have blood. Her ears rang with the words and she knew what was coming. 

"There's movement by the gate." One of the guards yelled aiming the gun in the direction and looking through the scope. Thankfully, he was from the hundred and didn't shoot first when three riders appeared at the door. "Open the gate." He yelled down and they nodded back to him as the gate swung open. 

"What is this?" Kane asked as he ran to the gate to meet them. There was an eerie silence that now followed the chanting. Everyone was waiting on word from the riders. 

"The clans army is waiting to attack this camp." One spoke and Clarke felt her heart stop for a second, why were they announcing themselves. What did they want, who did they want? 

"What do we have to do to stop this?" Kane asked them. 

"Wanheda." There was no getting out of this Clarke was dead and she knew it.

"Why her?" Kane asked not wanting to lose the one the people who seemed to keep them all alive. 

"Heda is dead at her hands, she pays for that in blood." 

"No." Kane stopped them. 

"It is that or you all die." Clarke made her way to the entrance not bothering to fight them on this. She was done fighting, if this is what had to be done to save her people then she would do it. 

"Kane, if my death means peace then that's what'll happen." Her voice was flat and resembled nothing like what it did yesterday. 

"Clarke no way." Her mother ran up behind her and pulled her away from the riders.

"Mom, I need to, it's the only way." Clarke fought back and tried to get out of her mother’s grip. 

"Clarke I can't lose you too." 

"You can't save one life and risk the many." The blond was pleading with her mom. "I've lost it all anyway, she's gone." Clarke had to choke back the tears in her eyes.  
"Please don't do this." Without warning the riders dismounted and a knife was at Clarkes throat and a body was behind her. 

"Let me go." Clarke said looking at her mom who was holding her by the wrist. 

"Clarke." Kane brought her attention to him. 

"Look after her." She said not even bothering trying to talk him into this. 

"May we meet again." He said to her and she nodded at him. 

"I love you." Her mom kissed her head, tears filling her eyes. 

"Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim." May we meet again. Were the last words that Clarke Griffin said out loud. They were said to an undeserving ear as the final knife cut into her skin. Clarke had no one like herself to deliver one blow to her heart like she had Finn, nor would the grounders have let that happen again.


	2. two

"Prisoner three nine one, face the wall." Suddenly Clarke was forced to stand up, as she came to from the trance like state, she was in she noticed her surroundings, she was stood in her cells. Drawings of what she envisioned the earth to looked like littered the floor. A second ago, Clarke took her last breath on the earth and now she was back in her cell, had she just dreamed the last year of her life. 

"What is this? What's happening?" Clarke's mind was racing as the guards came into her cell to take her away. 

"Quiet, hold out your arm." The guard yelled at her forcefully taking her arm when she didn't do it herself, while the other placed the wristband around her wrist. She was then taken from her room and led into the hallway where the other teens were standing. There was a sinking feeling in the blond’s stomach as she knew what was about to happen. They were being sent to the ground; she just didn't know why it was happening again. 

"Clarke. Stop give me a minute." Abby stopped the guards and Clarke looked at her mother who was standing in front of her wearing the same outfit she had when she was sent down the first time. 

"Mom what's happening?" Maybe Clarke wasn't the only one experiencing this all over again. She couldn't have been the only one, but no one else looked panicked they were calmly led to the entrance of the ship. 

"Clarke you're being sent to the ground, all one hundred of you." Abby smiled looking hopeful, just as she had last time. 

"What, but." Clarke fought to try and understand what was happening again, but nothing made sense. She had died and now she was on the ark going back to Earth. How?

"The rules have changed. This gives you a chance to live. Your instincts will tell you to take care of everybody else first, just like your father. But be careful, I can't lose you, too. I love you so much." Abby explained, before Clarke had the chance to react to what she was being told she felt the same prick of a needle as last time and collapsed into her mother’s arm. 

...

"Welcome back." Clarke woke to her old best friend sitting by her side again. She looked around and it was the drop ship, the same one and she was sitting in the exact same seat with Wells sitting by her side. Instantly the blonds heart rate shot up and her mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. 

"Wells, why, how?" She asked him, he had died within weeks of being on the ground. Was everyone still alive, no one had died yet?

"When I found out they were sending prisoners to the ground, I got myself arrest. I came for you." He said with that same sincere smile. She hadn't realized it until this very moment, but she had missed her best friend, hopefully things would be different this time and he wouldn't die because of his father’s actions.

"You could get yourself killed." Clarke said as a warning of the future, but he shrugged his shoulder. They were cut off by a violent shake to the rocket and a scream of a few people. 

"What was that?" One of the kids asked. 

"The atmosphere." Wells answered as a video of his father started playing, people yelled at the feed and insulted Wells for the words of his father.

"Check it out, your father floated me after all." Finn called out to them, just as he had the last time. He was out of his seat floating around in the cabin space, being cheered on by the others. 

"Get back in your seats now, or you'll never make it to the ground." Clarke said with a stern voice that no one wanted to argue with. 

This was the first change that Clarke made, all three boys got back in their seats and no one died on re-entry to Earth. Clarke sucked in a deep breath of air as they started their entry to Earth, she knew it would be as rough as it was last time. The drop ship fell to Earth and landed hard onto the earth’s surface and soon all the machines had stopped and for the first time, well second for Clarke, they weren't surrounded by the accompanying hum of machines. 

"Listen no machine hum." Monty picked up on the silence too.

"Whoa that's a first." Jasper said focusing on the absence of sound. Suddenly all the seat belts un-clicked freeing the kids. They all jumped up excitedly wanting to go out and see Earth for the first time. 

"The outer door is on the lower level, let's go." There was an increase in the sound. Everyone anticipating the outside. 

"What if the airs toxic?" Someone in the crowd asked, this time Clarke knowing it wasn't. 

"If the airs toxic, we're dead anyway." Bellamy announced to the crowed in his guard outfit. Clarke smiled at him, knowing that the Blake reunion was about to happen. Sure enough Octavia called out for her big brother and the two shared a moment before Bellamy opened the door and Octavia greeted the earth in the same way making everyone smile. 

"We're back bitches." She yelled with raised arms and the rest followed through running into the sun-soaked woods. 

Unlike last time Clarke enjoyed the feeling of being on Earth for the first time. She knew that mount weather wasn't an option and she would make sure that everyone would stay as far as possible from it. She wouldn't be the one to bring it to attention. 

"Clarke." Wells called her name as she sat in the shade of a nearby tree, watching the others yell, scream and laugh for the first time in a long time. "There's something I have to tell you." He said standing by her side, Clarke knew what was coming. The last time they'd had this conversation on the ship, but it started the same.

"Wells I know it wasn't you." He looked at her shocked. "Sit, please." He nodded and sat down still not understanding her change in heart. The last time they spoke Clarke was sure he'd been the one to tell his father of what hers was planning. 

"How?" He asked. 

"I should have known it was my mother, I was just so mad that I thought it was you." She admitted to him as he slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Clarke gave in and rested her head on his shoulder. 

"I would never hurt you." He said squeezing her.

"I know Wells." She really wanted things to be different, she didn't die in vain. Maybe she could fix everything that went wrong. 

…

Later that afternoon Clarke heard yelling coming from the drop ship. She left the quiet of the tree she was by to see Murphy and Bellamy watching like they were a lion and he were their pray. Wells looked frustrated and Clarke couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could tell that no one was listening. 

"Clarke." Wells called her name and suddenly all the attention was on her. "Tell them that we need to get to Mount Weather." Her stomach dropped and she knew that going to the mountain is where everything got messy last time. 

"We have everything we need here, why go to the mountain." Clarke said which annoyed Wells even more, if only once person agreed with him it should have been the blond. The others looked at the pending argument and Clarke saw the slight grin Bellamy wore when she sided with him.

"My father said there are supplies there we need." He said over the crowed which booed as soon as Jaha was brought up. 

"I agree with the princess with this one, who needs a bunker when we have all this." Finn interjected pointing around at the ground. Clarke grimaced at the nickname; one thing she knew for sure she wouldn't make the same mistake with Finn she had previously. 

"I agree why waste time?" Bellamy said to Wells who knew he was losing this battle. 

"What are you going to eat and drink?" Wells asked with an annoyance to his voice. Clarke knew where everything was, she just had to find a way to make it seem she was just as lost as everyone else. 

"We lead hunting parties for food and water." She answered. 

"How do you even know there are animals." 

"We don't. But if there's not we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Clarke said back to him almost dismissing him. He got the message and he walked away from the gathering of people. "Bellamy, can we speak in private for a minute?" She asked and a few of the guys whistled at them, she rolled her eyes and led him into the drop ship where they were alone. 

"Yes?" He asked when they stood alone. 

"These guys need leaders." 

"And that's you, is it?" He interrupted her almost laughing. 

"Well, I was thinking that we could work as a team." He scrunched an eyebrow at her, telling her she was listening to her idea. "I can help with the hunting and water. I know how to from earth skills and you already have followers who will listen to you." 

"Working together is better than having no one." Bellamy agreed nodding as he spoke. 

"If we want to survive there are things that we have to put in place now." Clarke was careful in what she said. Right now she knew what the future held for the hundred and she had to be careful with what lengths she went to, to keep it or change it. 

"Like what?" He asked genuinely wanting to keep these people safe. 

"First, we need food, I can lead a team out and look for water. We also need a wall, set up a boundary." 

"Why would we need a wall?" He asked. 

"Because we have no idea what's out there." He nodded at her response. "Use anything you can find, scrap metal, trees. It just needs to be sturdy." She explained to him.   
"And you're fine leading a hunting party?" He was sure why he'd be the one staying back and she left the camp. 

"You're more likely to get them to listen to you, I don’t mind getting my hands dirty." Clarke smiled to him as he led them back outside to the others. 

"Maybe not such a princess after all." He gave her a soft smile and whistled to the group calling them all in to explain what was happening. "Listen up guys I know we just got here and you're all excited, but we need to set this camp up." Bellamy paused making sure everyone was on bored and then he looked to Clarke for her to continue. This was already going better than she expected. 

"We should set up a perimeter to keep anything out. We also need a small group of people to go out and look for some sort of food and water source." She went to say more but was cut off by Murphy. 

"You two go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change." He yelled pointing to Clarke and Wells. The others cheered him on agreeing. Clarke rolled her eyes as Bellamy spoke up for her. 

"Shut up Murphy, Clarke is leading the party and I'll be helping with the fence." Murphy stood back and nodded, feeling inferior to Bellamy who just showed him up in front of everyone. Clarke and Bellamy nodded at each other and split up both going their own ways. Clarke made her way to the drop ship where she riffled through scraps of metal, she could turn into something resembling a knife for hunting. 

"Hey princess." Clarke looked up and saw Finn making his way over to her with a smug looked on his face, she quickly went back to what she was doing. "You don't like being called princess, do you princess?" He laughed at himself. 

"What do you want Finn." Clarke asked not putting up with him. 

"I'm here to offer my services." Finn said pretending to tip a hat at her, the old Clarke would have smiled at the gesture but not after what he did. To the grounders or to Raven. But this Clarke looked back at the knife she was sharpening. 

"Okay then you'll need a knife." She said not even looking up and pointing to the scrap metal that some kids collected from the crash.

"Where are they?" He asked looking around. 

"Make one." She said finishing her and leaving him in the room alone. 

"Got anyone yet?" Bellamy asked her as she stepped out. 

"Other than Finn nope." She said. Suddenly Bellamy grabbed two boys standing behind him and spun them to face her. 

"Four of you." He smiled and told the others that they were to hunt with Clarke, thankfully they didn't disagree with him. They were Jasper and Monty, hopefully Clarke could stop a spear attack to the heart for Jasper. 

"Sounds like a party, make it five." Octavia bounded over to us smiling at the thought of getting to explore the woods. Bellamy’s face instantly changed at the idea, Clarke found it cute how protective he gets over his sister. 

"She'll be okay Bell." Clarke let the nickname slide off her tongue, but he smiled at it and nodded his head. Octavia thanked her brother and kissed his cheek walking away with the group. 

"Ready?" Clarke asked the group which now included Finn, who was now holding a makeshift knife which didn't look too bad.

"Before you get any ideas, Finn is mine." Octavia said to Clarke who couldn't help but chuckle. 

"He's got a girlfriend on the ark, and you could do a whole lot better." She said thinking of Lincoln and the love they shared, she just hope that it would last this time.


	3. three

"So, what makes you think you can hunt so well?" Jasper asked following behind Clarke as she led them in the direction they went last time. Clarke was on the hunt for the deer they'd come across before. She planned to keep the same time to cross paths again.

"Just a wild guess." Clarke said vaguely as she tried to remember where they needed to be. Jasper grew bored of the one-sided conversation and went back to the group who were taking in the landscape and everything else around them. She wanted to do the same, take in the beauty of the yet unharmed earth. Which was nothing like she’d left it, no one had died yet, there had been no grounder war and the mountain hadn’t yet taken her people. She wanted to live in this moment for as long as she could, to keep everyone safe and innocent before the earth stained them with the blood of others just trying to survive.

Clarke was hearing the same conversation about the reasons they’d been arrest for the second time when they came to the opening where the deer was standing. She breathed out a sigh of relief as it was still there. She knew that she could throw the knife and hit the two headed deer, but she didn't know what it would mean to the other teens.   
"How are you gonna kill that?" Finn laughed, Clarke felt he was mocking her and without taking a second though she threw the knife hitting the deer in the middle of both heads. The deer fell to the ground and the others gasped at her kill. 

"What the fuck." Octavia said in disbelief. 

"Still just a wild guess?" Jasper asked as they went over to the deer and Clarke got her knife back, cleaning it against her pants. 

"What can I say I'm good at darts." Clarke said as they laughed, all still in shock over what Clarke had just done. "Jasper, Monty and Finn take it back to camp. I'm sure there's someone who can work out how to skin it." Clarke instructed. 

"And what about the two of you?" Finn asked pointing between Octavia and her. 

"We are going to find a water source." 

"But." Finn went to protest, but the blond stopped him.

"I think I just proved I have this covered." She motioned down at the dead deer and everyone agreed with her but Finn, who stood there with his arms crossed watching her. "When you get back tell Bellamy only people helping with the camp can eat, okay?" Clarke told the boys and they nodded with her. 

"Ready for an adventure princess." Octavia giggled at the blond as they were left alone in the woods. 

"Not you too." Clarke bumped her shoulder for using the nickname. 

...

It had been a few days since Clarke had landed on Earth for a second time and she was proud of the work she'd done in the short amount of time. Two days in last time and they had lost four of the hundred and now they had lost none. Clarke had stopped the deaths of the boys in the drop ship and by allocating jobs the couple never wandered off into the woods alone and died from the acid fog. Because there was never an attack on Jasper, he was alive and healthy. There had also been a massive decrease in fighting, she and Bellamy took controlled of the camp well. As opposed to last time they were now working together and building the camp into what it should have been from the start. 

"Here left over from this morning." Octavia came into one of the many tents they'd set up. Over the last couple days Octavia and Clarke had clung onto each other, which the blond was happy with. Last time around they were too busy fighting for different sides, this time they could make a difference together. 

"Thank you." Clarke smiled at the younger girl and accepted the plate gratefully. She was happy to be eating food from the ground again. 

"What are you doing in here still?" Octavia asked, normally Clarke would spend the entire day outside her tent watching over everything. But today she couldn't find the mental strength to get out of bed even though this day mattered most. Charlotte kills Wells today. Clarke had spent the nights with her helping her fall asleep and talk her through the way she feels but what if it doesn't change anything?

"I should probably get up, shouldn't I?" Clarke questioned making Octavia laugh. The younger girl agreed and threw her clothes at her leaving the tent. 

"Hey Clarke, we're going for a hunt, coming?" Bellamy said smiling to her as she came out her tent. 

"No, I think I'll stick around her today. Have you seen Charlotte?" Clarke asked, she knew that if the girl went with him she'd come back and murder Wells. She didn’t blame Bellamy over the death of her best friend, but she also wasn’t sure that without the talk she’d had with him she would have acted out in the way she had. In the few days they’d been on the group Clarke helped people understand that anger for Jaha was a wasted emotion now they were on the ground free from him. Wells didn’t deserve to be blamed for the things his father did. He had spent a lot of the time helping, with building the fence that was now barricading them in. Tensions seemed to be ease, Clarke only hoped this meant that no one would be murdered and no one would be wrongly accused of killing Wells. 

"I think she's with Harper and Monroe." One of the boys said, Clarke thanked them and made her way to find her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the three girls were sitting together. 

"Hey Clarke." The young girl greeted her with a smile. 

"What's happening here?" She asked sitting down on one of the crates turned into a chair. 

"We're teaching her how to weave baskets, my mom taught me on the ark." Harper explained showing Clarke the plants they'd found. 

"Clarke can I talk to you for a minute?" Charlotte asked which scared the blond, but she knew how important it was to talk to her about everything. 

"Of course, lets go for a walk. I'll bring her back shortly." The other girls said their goodbyes and went back to what they were doing as they walked away. Clarke felt her heart beating in her chest at a million miles an hour, she had to make sure that Wells stayed alive. "So, what's up?" Clarke asked as they came to a clearing where no one else was. 

"I'm scared Clarke." Charlotte said with a sad look in her eyes. "I have nightmares every night, they floated my parents." Clarke's heart broke for the young child, she knew the struggles she was facing, she hoped that this time she could help her live with them. Through the time the pair had spent with each other Clarke held the small girl and let her cry into her arms until she tired herself out and passed out in the blonds arm. Charlotte was finally opening up to her and wanting to talk about the death of her parents, this was the progress Clarke wanted to make with her. 

"Sit down." Clarke said to her as they came to a pile of smooth rocks. "They floated my dad too, and then locked me up to keep his secret." It hurt Clarke to talk about this, but she knew it had to be done.

"Secret?" Charlotte asked when Clarke took the moment to compose herself. 

"The arks dying, there's not enough oxygen. That's why we we're sent down here. My dad found the flaw and he was going to tell everyone, but they floated him and locked me up to keep us quiet."

"Aren't you angry Clarke?" The young girl asked with a fire in her eye that scared Clarke.

"I was until we came down here and saw that there is a new way for life, and we don't have to live in fear of the chancellor. We need to separate up there from here. We're on the ground Charlotte that's what's important." Clarke took one of her hands and gave her a smile. "I know it hurts but we need to move on what happened up there and focus on living down here, do you think you can do that?"

"Can you help me?" 

"Of course." Clarke smiled and opened her arms for a hug taking in the younger girl and wrapping her in a much-needed embrace. She felt Charlotte cry into her shoulder, she held her tighter and let her cry knowing she need to let it out. 

"Clarke." Both her and Charlotte jumped at the voice that called out. Clarke let go of the girl and spun around to see Monty standing in the clearing. "I think we may have a way to contact the ark." The pair got up and followed Monty back to the drop ship. He tried this last time but fried all the bands, Clarke knew that it would probably be the same this time, but she couldn't explain it. At least he'd have more to try with, they had stopped everyone from taking them off, so they had a hundred bands for him. "So, can I do it?" Monty asked as they reached the camp, snapping Clarke from her daze. 

"Yes I'll meet you in the drop ship in a minute to talk about it." She said and he nodded making his way there. Before meeting him Clarke took Charlotte back to the other girls. She also told her to meet her at the ship later, Clarke wasn't letting her out of her sight all night. 

…

Clarke stood at the doors of the mountain, nothing but darkness surrounding. No warriors, no mountain men. Just her alone in the woods. She was in her in her leather jacket she wore at the battle of the mountain, the one she wore when she pulled the lever that eradicated level five killing all those innocent people. Clarke jumped as the heavy door slowly swung open with a loud eerie creak. One by one Lexa’s people walked out in nothing but bleeding white wraps. A brunch snap from behind her, her attention turned to it to see the commander of the twelve clans walking out of the darkness with Emerson following quickly behind her.

“What did you do?” Clarke asked with a twinge of pain in her voice. 

“What you would have done, save my people.” Her heart dropped, once again Lexa had chosen to save her own people at the expense of Clarkes. 

“And where are my people?” 

“I’m sorry Clarke, they weren’t part of the deal.” This wasn’t Lexa this was the commander and Clarke hated her. In every reality she hated the commander in this moment, the cold-hearten grounder who broke Clarke’s heart, the one who forced her hand to murder the population. 

“They’ll all be killed but you don’t care about that do you?” Clarke would have spat at her if she could, but instead poisoned her words.

“I do care Clarke, but I made this deal with my head and not my heart.” 

…

Clarke shot up in the makeshift bed that was laid in the middle of the tent she was now sharing with Charlotte. She’d decided against leaving the young girl alone tonight and they had shared the small room to try and help each other through the nightmares. It seemed to work with her but not Clarke who woke in a cold sweet reliving the memories of the mountain. No matter how many times Clarke reminded herself that as of right now that was yet to happen, it never eased the hurt behind the memory. The one thing that kept her going was the prospect of changing it all and insuring that her people were never taken and she would help take down the mountain before they had the chance to enforce the deal of Lexa’s people for Clarke’s. 

The blond spent the rest of the early hours of the morning laying sleepless, trying not to wake the younger girl by leaving the tent. Her mind ran wild of the plan to take down the mountain and set up an alliance with the grounders. That was the one thing to do to ensure their safety. They couldn’t fight them from the start they had to see eye to eye for anything to change. 

The thought of Clarke seeing Lexa again was also what kept her going, the blond spent most of her time thinking about was she was going to see the commander again. How to gain her trust. The thing that she thought about most was, is her Lexa here or was she going to be like everyone else and not remember what had happened previously.   
She didn’t understand why so far, she was the only one who seemed to be living again, she had died on earth and woken back up on the ark a year before. She had killed Finn, and he was living his life the same as the first time, still flirting with Clarke like he didn’t know she would be his downfall. Charlotte was still waking up with nightmares and still wanted revenge. What made her different, why did she get a second chance.


	4. four

It was too early for her thoughts too be this quick and complex, she waited to make sure charlotte was still peacefully asleep and left her to get some much needed air. When she exited her tent, she saw the light orange tint to the sky showing the sun had only just risen. But there were plenty of other awake. A weight was lifted off her shoulders as she saw her best friend sitting by a fire eating a plate of food. Clarke did it, she saved Wells from being murder. This brought a smile to her face, maybe she could do this. 

"Clarke?" Wells had come over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder shaking her from her thoughts. "Hey what's wrong?" 

"Nothing, I need to get some air." Clarke shrugged him off and made her way to the boundary of the camp. She needed to get out of there before her thoughts consumed her and she broke down in front of everyone. 

Clarke ended up sitting in the place her and Lexa had found Indra after Pikes attack. She didn't know why she walked there but as she sat, she realized how much she needed the time to think. They'd been on Earth of almost a week and she had changed so much. No one was dead and no one was trying to kill each other. Maybe there was a chance of peace here this time. 

It didn't make any sense to her, how had she died and come back and yet no one else had. Was it just her because of how she personally could change things? So far no one else was living again but maybe that would change. Clarke wanted to find Lexa, Clarke needed to find Lexa.

"Hey princess." Clarke was spooked at the voice but when she turned to see Octavia she calmed down. She smiled at the girl and patted down a place on the ground next to her.   
The pair had grown closer through the time on the ground. Clarke had always regretted how things between them went and they always seemed to be on opposite sides, so she had changed that. 

"I really hate that nickname." Clarke laughed. "Thank you." She smiled at the younger girl who handed her a few pieces of meat and a canteen of water. 

"Even more reason to use it." Octavia fired back at her joke. "Are you okay?" She asked the blond after a few minutes of silence. 

"Just needed a minute for me." She admitted. 

"I heard you're now bunking with Charlotte?" Octavia asked. Clarke was thankful that she wasn't pushing on her problems. 

"Yeah she was having a hard time sleeping so I thought I could help." 

"You're good for this Clarke. They trust you and my brother, I'm glad you got yourself thrown into prison." Clarke smiled at her even though she hated what happened she was okay with it if it led to now and they got to live on Earth, that made up for some of it. 

"I'm glad you were born too." Octavia was now the one to give her a pained smile. It hurt Octavia that by just her being born she was banned from living. But like Clarke she was glad that she'd ended up on Earth. They sat in silence for a while both finding peace in the quiet and the others company. "What do you think out there?" Octavia asked as she stared into the woods. 

"Would you say I was crazy if I said others?" Clarke tried not to laugh at Octavia asking her out of all people what else was out there.

"I think there are others out there too, sometimes I'll go for a walk and I can just feel somebody watching me." The blond smiled, she had a feeling that would be Lincoln. Suddenly they were interrupted by the sound of an engine. They both looked up see a what looked to be a small drop ship falling to Earth. How could Clarke forget about Raven. They had to get there before Bellamy cut out the radio. "What is that?" Octavia asked standing up at the same time as Clarke. 

"It looks like something from the ark." Clarke said to spike interest in the younger girl, it seemed to work as they took off running to the landing site. They reached Raven the same time Bellamy did. Clarke quickly looked into the pods cracked window and saw that Raven was asleep, she’d probably passed out on re-entry. 

"Bell stop." Clarke said as he went to open the pod. She knew that he was going for the radio an act that would result in the death of three hundred people on the ark and a grounder village from the flares they would set off. 

"I need to get the radio." He said with his tough voice, Octavia watched confused not yet knowing what her brother had done to get a space on the drop ship. 

"We need to contact those on the ark, they already think we're dying because of Monty working on our bands. We need to tell them what's happening." 

"Maybe they shouldn't come down." He said standing his ground. He took a step closer to the door. "I did something, they'll kill me." He was almost begging them, he had shot the chancellor there's no way he could get away with that if they came down. 

"What did you do Bell?" Octavia took a step closer to her brother and took a hold of his hand.

"I killed him." He said simply as Octavia's face changed from an expression to confusion to shock. "I shot Jaha to get to you and when they come down, they'll kill me too." 

"He might not be dead." Clarke argued knowing that the chancellor would make a full recovery. 

"What if he is?" He rebutted, but before either of the girls could reply the door to the pod opened and Raven stumbled out rubbing her head. 

"Raven." Clarke said helping her stand while looking at the slight bump on her head. 

"Clarke?" Raven gave her a slight look of recognition, which gave Clarke hope that maybe she wouldn't be the only one reliving it, seeing they had never met on the ark. The blond helped her sit on a near-by rock as she nursed her head. 

"Who are you?" Octavia asked still standing by Bellamy's side. 

"Raven Reyes, I'm a zero-g mechanic on the ark. Abby sent me down to see how the kids on the drop ship are, they think you're all dying." 

"We aren't, they have no reason to come down." Bellamy said defensively. 

"You haven't told them yet?" Raven looked to Clarke who shook her head.

"Told us what?" Octavia asked with the same confused look as before. 

"The ark is dying. Oxygen supplies are running out and in three months there will be no air left. We we're sent to earth to see if the rest of the human race could survive down here." Clarke explained to the pair. 

"Exactly, if they think you're all dead then they all die up there, that's why I need to get back to the drop ship and set up the radio." Raven said standing up and instinctively checked on the status of her radio. If Clarke didn't know any better, she'd say she saw her sigh in relief when she saw it was still there. 

"Raven?" Octavia called for her attention. "Jaha, is he alive?" She asked for her brother. 

"Yes, Abby saved him. They found the guy who blackmailed you Bellamy, you're safe when they come down." The siblings breathed in relief at the news and embraced each other. 

"Let’s go set up the radio then." He said helping her carry it back to camp. Clarke trailed behind them and couldn't help but notice the way Raven walked. She walked like her left   
leg was still in a brace even though that injury hadn't even happened yet. It was her Raven, it had to be. 

…

"Raven stay." Clarke ordered her as she went to leave the drop ship with others later into the night. They had set up the radio and had tried to contact the ark but the big storm over head had interrupted the transmissions. "How’s the leg pain?" Clarke asked when they were alone.

"Clarke my leg is fine, I can deal." Raven said not even thinking. It wasn't until she watched the change in Clarke's face that she realized what she said. "You too?" Raven asked as the blond joined her at the table she was sitting at.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" She asked, Raven was smart maybe she'd have any explanation for this.

"I was going to ask you." Her face was strained, and Clarke could tell just how hard she was thinking about this.

"What do you remember?" Clarke asked.

"I watched you die, god how did I forget you were dead." Clarke looked down at her hands, so she really had died in some life.

"Did you die?" Clarke asked Raven, how else could she be here.

"There was a fire, an angry grounder blew up the ark. I was trapped when it happened. I don’t know how many others died." Her voice was low and full of hurt and fear. Clarke embraced the older girl and they sat in silence for a while until they both calmed down.

"What does this all mean?" Clarke asked after a while.

"I think it means that we have to do better this time, too many things went wrong before."

"Do you think we can really change everything that happened?"

"Well haven't you already changed it? They're still alive Clarke and I'm guessing that's your doing." Raven smiled as the blond nodded at her own efforts.

"Then I think we can. Who else is here?" Raven asked wanting to know how much help they had this time around.

"No one. Everyone's acting like this is their first time on earth." To this the older girl looked on confused.

"How can only certain people live again after their death?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that maybe only the ones capable of changing come back, and only the ones that died a wrong death."

"So you didn't kill the commander?" Raven asked looking at Clarke with a shocked look. The day Clarke died the grounders told them that Clarke and Murphy had shot Lexa and taken off.

"No what." Clarke was angry, how had Lexa's death been blamed on her. "I loved her Raven." She defended her name.

"I know, but you were so angry after Mount Weather I could see why it happened. Do you think Lexa's here?" Raven asked.

"I thought of her being here, but before you it seemed that it was only me. Even if she’s not her we need to find her and set up an alliance before they attack us again.” Clarke's eyes lit up at the idea of her Lexa being here. Even though the blond was sure no matter what version of Lexa it was they would be together but this one was special.


	5. five

"Have you seen O?" Bellamy burst into the drop ship the next morning waking both Clarke and Raven up. They had spent most of the night talking about the situation they were in and had fallen asleep spread over the table they were sitting at.

"What happened?" Clarke asked in a husky voice still full of sleep. She instantly got worried at his state, he was panicked and the fear in his face made him look physically ill.

"No one's seen O all morning." He was pacing around the room.

"She probably just went for a walk." Raven said trying to calm him down, but Clarke knew that she was right. Octavia did get lost and Lincoln finds her.

"Bellamy we're ready." Monroe came into the room.

"I'm leading a party to find her, can you stay and watch the camp please? I need to know that things here are taken care of." He was pleading with them, both girls nodded at him   
following him out into the sun. Raven let out a groan when she looked across the camp to see Finn and some random girl hooking up outside his tent.

"Raven?" He looked at her in shock and instantly let go of the girl he was holding. Raven rolled her eyes at him as he tried to explain, instead of listening she help up her hand and dismissed him. Clarke laughed at how she handled it and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Collins, Murphy, Atom, Monroe, Roma, Drew and Jasper you're with me." Bellamy nodded at the girls and they made their way into the woods to find Octavia. Both girls knew that today there would be an attack and that some of them would die but they also knew that there was nothing they could do to stop this. Clarke hoped that this would lead her to Lexa. 

"Do you think you can get the radio set up today?" Clarke asked and the pair made their way back into the drop ship where they had set up the radio.

"The storm cleared last night so I think we'll get a better connection today." Raven said already in her own world. Clarke left her to her own devices and wandered around the camp making sure everyone was okay and accounted for.

"Clarke are you okay, you didn't sleep in the tent last night?" Charlotte asked as Clarke made her way over to the younger girl who was sitting with Harper and a few other girls.

"Hey, I'm fine. Someone came down from the ark yesterday and we were trying to fix the radio to tell everyone we're still alive after Monty fried our bands." Clarke joined them and sat by the fire they were keeping. Charlotte offered her some food and she accepted happily not realizing how hungry she was. The blond sat with them for a while enjoying the easy conversation that fell between them.

"Clarke, she got the radio working." A boy interrupted them. She excused herself and followed him back to the ship. As they entered the room Clarke heard her mother’s voice and smiled knowing that they had made it in time.

"Mom." She said sitting next to Raven.

"Clarke you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice, we thought you were all dead." Clarke could hear the relief in her mom’s voice as they spoke.

"We're fine mom, Monty tried to use the bands to communicate with you, but it didn't work."

"You're lucky you called us we're running out of air Clarke. Our only choice is finding a way to the ground or kill innocent people to try and increase life support." For the first time her mother was completely honest in what was happening, and Clarke appreciated it.

"As far as we can tell earth is survivable, there's no need to kill anyone." They spoke for a while hearing from Jaha as well. Sinclair and Raven spoke together about how to get the ark on the ground and Clarke could tell just how important this was to her. Sinclair had died where they came from but here, she got her mentor back.

There was a sudden increase in noise from outside the drop ship. People were still yelling and screaming, the two girls ran outside to see four bodies being brought in and Bellamy holding his sister tightly. Raven and Clarke gave each other nervous looks.

"Clarke, it's Finn." Bellamy called out to her. "He was stabbed by him." Behind him were four people carrying in Finn who was unconscious in their arms, and behind them another three groups of people were carrying in the bodies of Roma, Atom and Drew.

"Can you save him?" Octavia asked as she followed Clarke into the drop ship they would again be using as an operating room.

"What happened to him?" Clarke asked confused at the spear sticking out of his abdomen. Both Clarke and Raven knew that the last time Finn was stabbed by Lincoln with a knife, but he laid there with a spear wound and she didn't know if she could save him this time.

"There was an attack and these people killed Drew, Roma and Atom but they didn't make it back to camp. This one guy took me to his house and locked me up, but Bell found us. As we were on the way back someone threw the spear at Finn." Clarke nodded at the information.

"Raven I need you to get my mom on the radio and I need everyone else to leave." Clarke instructed them and they all agreed with her. "Bell, you need to calm everyone outside. Make sure everyone's accounted for, they need you to lead them right now." She told him as she washed her hands getting ready to try and save Finns life.

"I can't believe we're really back here again." Raven said as she turned the dials on the radio trying to contact the ark.

"This is worse than last time, and it's so deep. I don't know what I'm doing." Even with her experience from last time Clarke had no idea how to remove a spear from him and stop the bleeding especially without any of the equipment from the ark.

"Clarke, I don't think we're going to get a signal from this." Raven said with a panic in her voice that drew the blonds attention away from the dying boy. "Someone cut the wires, looks like not everyone's on board with the ark coming down."

"How am I going to do this on my own?" Clarke said looking down at him and not even knowing where to start.

"You don't need to save everyone." Her voice was small and full of pain. "We know what he did last time, can we really prevent that here what if he kills that village again?"

"We have no way of knowing that."

"We also have no way of knowing that he's changed. He was with Roma this morning and now she's dead. What if he goes after his revenge as he did with you? I love Finn even after what happened I owe both this and my last life to him but maybe we can save his name this way and he die a hero not a murderer." Clarke knew where she was coming from and if anyone else came up with the idea of letting him die it would have been dismissed straight away. But Clarke couldn't help but hear her out, Raven knew him better than anyone.

"Are you sure about this?" Clarke asked, knowing that this could change everything. Raven nodded at her and Clarke stepped away from his body. He was close to death already his chest was barely rising, and his face was as white as a ghost.

"We do better for him." Raven held onto his hands as they watched him take his final breaths.

"Bellamy no." They both shot up from their positions as they heard Octavia scream at her brother. As the footsteps got closer, they knew what was coming, more like who was coming. "Clarke please tell him no to do this." Octavia pleaded with her as Murphy and Bellamy dragged Lincoln into the drop ship. "He's dead?" Everyone stopped and looked down to Finn whose chest had stop rising and his arm fell dead, nothing holding it up.

"I couldn't save him, the spear was too deep." Clarke said wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes.

"He killed four of our people, he needs to pay for that." Bellamy and Murphy dropped him to the floor as they tried to find the ropes to keep him tied. When Lincoln tried to fight the restraints, Murphy threw a punch at his temple causing him to collapse to the floor. Octavia screamed at the action and tried to retaliate at him. 

"It wasn't him, he saved my life." Octavia pleaded with him and sent the same pleading looks to Clarke and Raven.

"No, I saved your life. It was his people he needs to answer some questions."

"You're not tying him up." Clarke interjected, granted they needed answers from him, but they weren't torturing him this time. "Leave him in here but he is not being tied up." Octavia shot her a grateful look as she slightly relaxed.

"But he's dangerous." Murphy jumped in.

"Tie his hands together then, nothing else." Bellamy gave her an annoyed look but when she didn't step down he nodded and tied him like she said. "Now Murphy I need you to set   
up a grave site and we need four dug, I don't care if you dig or make others do it but please it needs to be done." He nodded to her agreeing that it was an important thing to do. 

"Bellamy someone cut the cords and ruined our radio, we need to know who and why. If no one talks tell them about the ark and how everyone they love will be dead in a few months without it. O." Clarke began to instruct her but was quickly interrupted.

"I'm not leaving him." She stood her ground.

"I need you to lead a hunting party, just outside the gates. I also need clean water for him, and you know where the lake is." Clarke said now her throwing the pleading looks.

"Why her?" Bellamy asked.

"Have you seen her throw a knife? Plus, she knows where the attack happened, and I don't need any more deaths, stay away from there." Eventually everyone agreed with her and they set out on their own tasks as Raven and Clarke stayed with Lincoln who seemed to be waking up.

"Why are we staying?" Raven asked when they were alone.

"Lincoln died at the hands of Pike to save Octavia and everyone else, maybe he woke up here too. He wasn't the one to stab Finn that has to mean something." Raven nodded as she spoke and couldn't help the small smile forming at her lips.

…

Lincoln woke up with a startle and he sat up straight late into that night. He looked around the room adjusting to the bright lights he wasn't used to.

"Clarke?" He asked the blond whose mouth curled into a smile, she was right. 

"I knew I could count on you being here, I was waiting for you all to come down again." Lincoln spoke to the two girls with a low voice and a small hint at a smile. "Is it just you two?" He asked looking between Clarke and Raven.

"Yes, here drink this." Clarke gave him a canteen of water and he took it gratefully, thanking her after taking a drink. 

"I thought that Octavia may have remember too but she didn't know anything I was saying when I spoke my tongue." He looked sad that it wasn't his Octavia back, but they could tell he was also relieved that he wasn't alone down here. 

"We seem to think that only people that died have come back here." Raven spoke to him sitting at the radio trying to work out how to fix it. 

"You guys died, how?" He asked with a concerned face. 

"Lexa was shot and I was blamed for her murder and Raven was caught in a fire." Clarke explained to him as she looked over the wounds that her friends had given him on their way back to camp. "Is it possible that Lexa's here too?" The blond asked hopeful. 

"We we're taught as children that death is not the end, it is possible she's here. She did set in an order of protection against you all and an attack on you, is an attack on her."

"Did she do that last time?" Raven asked. 

"I remember her saying not to attack unless her orders, but I don't remember the order of protection being in place last time." This caused Clarke to smile at the idea of her Lexa being here as well. 

"So why were we attacked today?" Raven asked looking towards Finn's body that still laid on the bench covered by a sheet. 

"Just as there were last time some of my people don't agree with you being here and they disobeyed the commander." He explained to them. 

"We need to tell her of the attack, hopefully this time we can form an alliance early on, before the rest of the ark comes down." Clarke said to the group as they all thought about how an early alliance could help them and Lexa. 

"You need to give her a reason for one, if she's not from our time then she won’t trust you. Even if she is, she needs a reason to give her people to trust you." 

"The mountain men." Raven shouted out standing up and looking at the other two. "Last time we we're meant to take the mountain together. If we attack before they take our people, then Lexa won’t have to betray us and we can take down their leaders before they can figure out what our blood does to them." 

"We need to go to Lexa." Clarke said agreeing with Ravens plan. Lincoln looked hopefully as he sat and pondered the idea of taking the mountain together. 

"There's still the gun bunker, we train up soldiers and we fight the mountain. Rae, can you make the reaper sticks, I can promise Lexa a way to cure the reapers. God this would just be so much easier if she's our Lexa." Clarke began to pace as they spoke out their ideas and plans for the commander.


	6. six

"Clarke, we have who cut the radio." Bellamy announced the next morning as he walked in with Murphy by his side dragging in a younger boy who looked angry. "What do we do with him."

"I say we float him." Murphy said pushing the boy down onto his knees in front of them. The teen look at Lincoln with pure fear in his eyes, and they knew why with the six-foot tattooed grounder standing by him. 

"We are not the ark, people do not pay for their crimes in blood now." Clarke said staring Murphy down, who shortly cowered away. "Take him outside to dig the graves on his own, and any that come after." The boys nodded and took him outside. "So can you make what we need?" Clarke asked again once they were alone.

"It may be tough without the materials from the ark but I'm sure I can make it work and I could probably make one of those noise generators." Raven said looking over the now dead radio. 

"Great, you stay with Lincoln and no one is to come in, okay? I'm going to talk to Bell." 

"Good luck trying to keep O out." Raven laughed as did Lincoln, they all knew that nothing would force the pair from staying away from each other for too long. 

"Bellamy do you have a minute?" The blond asked walking out into the opening.   
People were scared about the attack the prospect of not being alone on the ground. Most people stood by some of the fires they’d set. Others watched the boy accused of cutting their radio dig the four holes needed for their friends. Clarke felt bad sending Octavia into the forest to look for food, but she knew that they needed the moment to talk alone. 

"What's up Clarke?" He asked leading them away from the others that were watching over the grave digging process. 

"Before the radio died my mom said there's a bunker not far from where we are and it's likely to have supplies, I was thinking that after things settle down tomorrow, we should check it out." 

"Sounds good princess. I'm sorry about the radio, he wouldn't tell us why he did it other than everyone on the ark should die for what they did up there." He explained to her as they watched him dig from the clearing they were standing at. "Octavia." Bellamy yelled with a shocked voice. Clarke turned and saw why he'd reacted in such way. Octavia had taken a party of five hunting, but she only returned with two others. 

"Charlotte." Clarke yelled and ran to the small group. The young girl was being carried by the boy that went with her. "Take her to the drop ship now." Clarke yelled looking at the burns that lined her face, if she had to guess she'd they say they just had their first encounter with the mountain men and their acid fog. 

"O what happened?" Bellamy yelled out as he helped carry Charlotte to the ship. 

"We were hunting and went a little further out than usual and then we got trapped in what looked like smoke, as we ran, we found a car and stayed in there. We it past we found the other three, they were all dead but Charlotte." Octavia explained as the entered the ship. Raven stood up at the sudden increase of people and looked at Clarke confused as the young girl was laid down where Finn had been. 

“Who died?” Bellamy asked her.

“Trina, Pascal and Dickson.” She answered not taking her eyes off the young girl. 

“I’ll send a team to get them.” He said leaving the ship. 

"What is this?" Raven asked looking between the girls. 

"I need space." Clarke said as everyone crowed around her body. "I need water and lots of it, you two go." Clarke pointed to the boys who had carried her in. 

"Everyone else, out." Raven ordered, Octavia looked at her asking for permission silently to stay, she allowed it as everyone else left leaving the girls alone. 

Clarke began by taking off her clothes to assess her burns. She had to stop herself from crying at the site of her body, deep red burns marked her entire body. The burns were worse on her arms and chest only covered by thin or no material. Clarke had to zone out from the conversation happening behind her, Lincoln was explaining the acid fog to Octavia. She had to focus on everything she remembered from last time and how she could save Charlotte's life but looking at the shallow breathing, she didn't know if she could. 

"Clarke, it's okay if you can't save her." She jumped at the sudden deep voice and hand on her shoulder, Bellamy gave her a sad smile as they watched at Charlotte who was crying out in pain drifting in and out of consciousness. "We should end her pain." He said and Clarke nodded knowing that there was nothing they could do. She felt sick as she watches him take out his knife and brush away the hair by her neck. He was going to kill her as Clarke had killed Atom after the fog, which lead to Charlotte killing Wells. 

"Hey, you're okay" Raven caught Clarke in her arms before the blond even knew she was falling. She wrapped Clarke in an almost bone crushing hug and helped lower her to the floor where she cried into her shoulder over the death one of the people, she wished to change the most. 

Charlotte felt like a little sister to the group, someone to take care of and do better for and now she was gone. Clarke felt her break over losing the young girl for the second time, only this time around it hurt more. Just the night before they had cuddled together and fell asleep peacefully. For the first time since her parent’s death Charlotte slept through the night without reliving their murder, all thanks to Clarke, and now she was gone. 

…

"I know you're all scared, I'm scared too." Clarke stood at the entry to the drop ship the morning after and spoke to the camp. If there was one thing, she learnt over her life was to never hide what was happening to the people involved, they were scared, and they deserved answers. 

"Who is that guy in there?" Someone yelled from the crowd.

"I apologise for not coming to talk to you sooner, but two days ago there was an attack on the party that went to find Octavia. We we're taught that the bombs at the end of the world had killed everyone, but they were wrong people survived and they've lived on the ground ever since. They killed four of our people, and they will not get away with that. We have one of theirs and he is talking to us. In a few days he will take me to his leader, and we will work for peace. A hunting party yesterday ran into a smoke like haze which killed three more, so I need everyone to stay in camp and away from certain parts of the woods until we work out what's happening, is that clear?" Her voice was clear and strong, her people was listening to her and she couldn't be happier about it. "Are there any questions?" She asked turning to them.

"How do we know we're safe?" A girl asked with worry clear on her face. 

"Today I will be going to a bunker which should house weapons, with training you will be able to use them in case of an attack, but until then I urge everyone to stay in the camp." Clarke said and the girl nodded in understanding. She stood there for an hour answering every question someone asked and it wasn't until Bellamy came with a small group that she was pulled away. 

"They wan't to come to the bunker, we should go now so we can be back by dark. I don't like the thought of us being out of the camp by nightfall." Bellamy voiced his concerns and Clarke agreed with him. 

...

"So when do you plan on leaving?" Raven asked as the blond entered their shared tent later that night. 

"In three days, we set up the camp, you finish the tools and then we'll go to Lexa." Clarke threw off her clothes, leaving her in her undergarments and got straight into bed. 

Clarke was beyond tired. With the chaos of the past few days she had barely slept for longer than an hour at a time. It didn't help that she had spent the whole day walking to and from the bunker. At least that plan didn't blow up in their face and the guns were there just as they were last time. The party discovered more bullets than they had last time, probably as they weren't high off nuts. Which mean that Raven didn't have to make more, giving her more time to focus on the materials they needed for the commander. 

…

"We can't keep him here anymore Bellamy. He told me he'll take me to their leader. I can't have any more of our people dead, you can't stop me." Clarke had just explained what she planned to do with Lincoln and he wasn't liking the idea. 

"What if it's a trap?" He asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I trust him Bell, so does your sister." Clarke said appealing to his emotional side. 

"I'm guessing she's going with you?" He asked with a pained expression and seemed even more tense than five seconds ago. 

"Yes and Raven." His jaw clenched as she spoke. Clarke couldn't tell if it was because he was worried or annoyed that she was taking Raven and Octavia with her and he had to stay behind and babysit. "I need you to stay here and watch the camp, I don't trust anyone else to keep this safe." His face softened as she paid him the compliment. 

"Fine but you better not die princess." He said with a light smile that she returned him. 

"No way that's happening." She knocked his shoulder as they walked to where they were keeping Lincoln. Clarke had won an argument earlier in the week and they were keeping Lincoln on the lower level of the drop ship without tying him up, which Octavia was grateful for. 

"Ready?" Clarke asked the group who all nodded back at her. They all got up and grabbed their needed supplies. 

They were the only ones in the camp awake. Even though the rest of the hundred knew that he was here and wasn't responsible for the deaths of his friends they blamed him and were angry about it. The only way to get out of there safely was to sneak out while everyone was still asleep. The four of them set off towards Polis within the hour and an un-easy feeling filled Clarke, she was nervous about the thought of seeing Lexa and what would happen if it wasn't her. 

"So know that we're away from the camp do you guys want to tell me what's going on with you all?" Octavia asked, causing everyone to stand still and look over to the younger girl who had a cheeky smile. 

"What are you talking about?" Clarke asked trying to avoid the conversation she knew was coming. 

"Do play dumb with me Griffin, I heard you guys the other day, and I found this." Octavia passed Clarke a book, she knew exactly what this was and couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it missing. 

Clarke opened the book which was full of drawings of things that could have only been described as nightmares. Ever since she had landed on the ground, she hadn't been able to stop the dreams that weren't actually dreams but memories from her past life. The killing of Finn, mount weather, Lexa dying because of her, the attack on the drop ship. The one thing that helped was drawing what she saw and what she wished she could forget. Clarke drew them to remember the lives she had to save and what she had to do different this time, but she had no idea how to explain that Octavia. 

"You should sit down." Raven broke the silence that had fallen over them as Clarke flipped through the book of her previous life. 

"You're going to think this is crazy and it is." Clarke paused trying to find the words. "We've been here before, we all died and came back to life months after we died." Clarke said out loud for the first time, sounding like a crazy person. 

"That doesn't make sense." Octavia said looking confused. 

"Reincarnation, it's what our people are taught when we are children that when we die, we come back as something else." Lincoln explained to her as they all tried to word it like they weren't insane. 

"I have no way to explain what happened to us, and it still makes no sense." Raven spoke up. 

"When we were here last time, we made mistakes, and a lot of people paid for them in blood. We have to do different this time." Clarke said with a small smile trying to explain better. 

"Raven died in a fire, Clarke was killed when they thought she killed their commander and I died saving you." Lincoln said looking at Octavia. He wasn't sure if he should tell her this or let them figure it out on their own, but he needed Octavia know that she once trusted him. 

"You died to save me?" Octavia asked only paying attention to him. "How is it you're all here but me?" She asked. 

"All I can say is they both died before me and died a wrongful death, from what I can guess is you didn't." Raven told her grabbing onto her hand and rubbing her own thumb across the top of her hand. 

"That's why you saved my life." Octavia said turning to Lincoln.

"Yes, but I also did the same thing last time before I knew you. I hoped you would have been here too, but I realized you didn't remember me." He looked sad at the confession, but it didn't last long when the young girl flashed him a smile. 

"Wait so we're going to the commander who they think you killed, what if they're here too? What if she thinks you did it?" Octavia asked, obviously her mind was going a million miles an hour. 

"The commander died because of the relationship we shared, her advisers didn't believe in it so they staged it to look like me. I hope she's here it'll make everything easier." 

"You say that's the reason, but you just want your girlfriend back." Raven joked causing an eye roll from Clarke which resulted in everyone else laughing. But they all knew she was right, and that Clarke just wanted her Lexa back. 

"So what changes have you made?" Octavia asked as they began to walk through the forest again after their impromptu break.

"Two kids died on landing when they got out of their seats. Then a couple went off on their own and died from the acid fog. Atom died from the acid fog. Charlotte killed Wells and then killed herself after Murphy was blamed for his death. And there was an attack on us by the commander which resulted in the death of three hundred of their warriors, which is what we're trying to stop with this alliance." Clarke said, everyone shocked that she remembers everything that happened and all the people that died.

"I was also shot in the back and lost feeling in my leg." Raven said looking down at her functioning leg.

"That's why you walk with a slight limp?" Octavia asked.

"Habit, I guess." Raven said nodding her head. She still wasn't used to her leg being fine, since the day she landed she'd walk with the limp and got anxious when she couldn't find her brace in the morning only to realize she had no use for it anymore.

"Stop." Lincoln raised his arm and the girls stopped behind him waiting on him to explain what was wrong.


	7. seven

"Natrona." Traitor. A voice snapped from the silence, making the girls jump. Clarke knew what was said, even though it wasn't in English. She had forgotten that the grounders had their own language and she had learnt it with Niylah and Lexa, she just didn't realize that she was still capable of it.

"Hod op, teik ai chich." Stop, let me talk. Lincoln called out to the voice as Raven and Lincoln watched not knowing what was happening or being said.

"Chomouda laik yu kom emo Lincoln kom trikru?" Why are you with them Lincoln? Whoever this was they knew him, and the others realized this too as his name was said.

"Emo gaf in heda." They seek Heda. He stood confident as there was ruffling in the bushes. Suddenly there was three people standing in front of them. Clarke smiled seeing Anya, she hadn't thought it before but maybe she's come back too.

"Chit du emo gaf in kom heda?" What do they want with heda?

"Om kru jomp op." Her people were attacked. Clarke stood nervously as they came closer to her and checked out the group. "Emo natrona." They're the traitors. Clarke moved her hand slowly to Octavia's trying to calm the poor girl down who had never dealt with this before.

"I am Anya, I'm the leader of trikru. I will listen to your story and then I will arrange for heda to see you, okay?" She asked watching our reactions.

"Yes." Clarke said talking for the group and giving a nod that Anya returned. She led the into the village which was a breath of fresh air for Clarke. Last time she came here she was escaping a bomb that destroyed the village.

"Are you the leader?" Anya asked Clarke as she led the group into a small standing building that was guard by two people.

"Yes me and another boy at the camp." Clarke explained.

"She's the real leader though, he just follows her." Raven laughed hitting her shoulder.

"So a group of my people attacked yours?" Anya asked once everyone had sat down.

"I don't think they were trikru." Lincoln answered for them and their leader nodded.

"Octavia had gone missing, and we sent out a party to find her when a group surrounded my people and killed four of mine. Lincoln saved Octavia's life, while I admit that my people took him in order to get answers out of him in any way possible. But that didn't happen I took Lincoln and made sure he was taken care of where he told me that there was a protection order on my people and we shouldn't have been attacked." Clarke explained trying to stay level headed and not to put Lincoln in a place where he would be punished for giving too much information away.

"While I do not agree with Lincoln telling you of such things he is right and there should not have been an attack on your people. So I will send riders to heda where she can deal with these people."

"Thank you." Clarke said gratefully reaching out to embrace Anya with the traditional forearm grip.

"Don't mess this up Clarke kom skaikru." Anya whispered into her ear pulling her closer. As she was about to show them to a place to stay a woman ran into the room.

"Anya, Maunon." They both ran out of the room and Clarke followed quickly behind, understanding that this had something to do with the mountain.  
"Chit don kom au?" What happened? Anya asked as they stopped. There was a warrior being carried in by two others. He was screaming out in pain and it only got worse as they laid him down on the ground.

"Weron Nyko?" Where's Nyko? Someone yelled out.

"Anya, I can help. My mom’s a doctor." Clarke called out to her, Anya watched her very carefully. If Clarke couldn't save this man their alliance could be ruined before it was even spoken about but if she saved him their people may trust her.

"Don't let him die." Anya said letting Clarke near the warrior.

"Em fisa." She's a healer. Anya called out to the crowed who looked uneasy letting the sky girl work on one of their own.

"I need tweezers, a needle, string and bandages." Clarke called out as Lincoln translated for them and some of the locals ran around trying to find what she asked for.

Clarke helped rolled over the body and sighed when she didn't see an exit wound. They laid him back down at her instruction and Clarke called for some water to wash her hands, she thanked the young boy who gave her some and the older lady that had found her a pair of tweezers. She had no way of washing the equipment, but she had no option to complain.

"Hold him down, this is going to hurt." Clarke told Lincoln who was sat beside her. He was starting to regain consciousness just at the wrong time. One wrong movement and Clarke could do more damage. The bullet was lodged in the left side of the abdomen and Clarke hoped it had hit nothing major.

With a very steady hand Clarke took the tweezers and put them into the bullet wound to remove the shrapnel in his body. When she felt the bullet, she squeezed the handle and ever so carefully dragged the metal out of the hole. It was like the game she and Wells once played on the ark, expect this one included a real man’s life. She was pulled out of her head when the man suddenly began to seize beneath her, his wound was filling with blood, the bullet must have been clogging the blood. Clarke felt her heart drop when he suddenly stopped moving and his chest stopped rising. She looked tore off her jacket and placed it over the wound.

"Hold this tight over the wound." Clarke moved her hand for Lincoln to put his down and once he did she turned her attention to the man where she began chest compression's. She wasn't going to let this man die. She used the force she had worked from her last life and fell into the needed rhythm as she prayed that he would wake up. Someone was listening to her and after a couple minutes he took in a deep breath and opened his eyes. The crowd let out a yell of shock as a man came back to life in front of their eyes.

"He was dead, how did you do that?" Anya asked shocked.

"Have you never seen this before?" Raven asked confused to how they had never done such techniques. Anya shook her head at them and kneeled by her warrior.

"I need to close the wound." Clarke said taking over from Lincoln.

"Here, we don't have the other things you asked for." A villager said handing her a knife that was beading red. Clarke nodded and thanked them. She removed the now red fabric and made eye contact with Anya who nodded and held the man down as she placed the knife against his wound. The injured warrior let out a deep groan as the heat burned his skin, the pain so intense he passed out.

"The commander will be here in two days, you may just get your alliance after all." Anya said as people carried him away to their healers tent to watch him until he woke. Clarke nodded at her words and followed her as she led the group to where they would stay overnight.

…

"I don't think it's her." Clarke said to girls as they retired to their quarters after the dinner they were given. Lincoln had been with Nyko all night and he would stay with him to give them privacy. 

"Maybe she just doesn't know that you're you." Octavia said trying to keep the hope that they weren't alone in this. "Her people believe in reincarnation, ours don't. She would sound crazy if she said something and you weren't from that time." 

"Isn't she so cute when she's smart." Raven said mocking the younger girl, Octavia rolled her eyes and pushed her arm away. 

"Then how do we know if neither says anything?" Clarke asked to the others who were now pushing each other, about to start a war of their own. "Why do I bother?" She rolled her eyes at the pair. 

"Surely commander heart eyes can't resist you for long and she'll let it slip." Raven said. 

"Commander heart eyes?" Octavia asked looking between them confused as Clarke rolled her eyes again. 

"The commander of the twelve clans has it bad for Clarke and they look at each other with what I call heart eyes, you shall see it tomorrow child." Raven said easing the mood like she always did, Clarke was grateful for the older girl she had no idea how she would have dealt with this on her own. Raven made it bearable for her. 

"And does Clarkey feel the same way? I mean you were killed for her death?" Octavia asked causing Clarke to blush. She never had a group of friends that she could talk to about the boys or girls she was interested in. Especially last time where Clarke had to deal with her feelings for the commander on the brink of two separate wars. 

"I love her, even if it isn't her, I still love Lexa and I believe that if we have what I thought we did things can be different this time." Clarke said sheepishly, she didn't know if she was making any sense but she gathered as the others were nodding their heads she was. 

"I can't believe we never became friends last time, I can't lose you guys. We need this, this is how we do better." Raven smiled and reached over to take both girls hand. 

"Girl power." Octavia nodded back to her and gripped her hand tighter. She felt out of the loop not coming from the same period of time as them, but she knew how important she was to them. 

"Now Clarke needs her beauty sleep for tomorrow, so I say call it a night." 

"Goodnight losers." Clarke laughed easily as she blew out the few candles lighting the room and laid down on one of the three small single beds lining the room.


	8. eight

"Clarke." The blond shot up off the bed after being shaken awake. She hadn't realized she was in the middle of a nightmare until she felt her elevated heart rate and the clothes clinging to her body from sweat. "Hey it's okay, you're safe here." Raven was sitting by her side and carefully placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Clarke apologized and Raven shook her head. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Raven asked brushing some of the blond hair away from her face. The older girl’s heart broke watching Clarke, her breathing was still shallow and fast, her eyes were full of tears and her body was shaking from fear. 

"I just need some air." Clarke stood up without even looking at the other girl. When Raven asked if she wanted company Clarke declined and walked out of the quarters alone in the middle of the night. 

She had no real plan of where to go but she knew she couldn't stay in that room under Ravens careful eye. Clarke made her way to the edge of the town into the woods and found a small clearing to sit at. The noises of the wood helped clear her mind in a way she hadn't noticed before. It was quiet and calm, and she could hear the sounds of bugs and the wind. It was so different to the screams that filled her head only moments ago. 

"Are you the one who fell from the sky?" Clarkes attention snapped from the forest floor to the deep voice coming from behind her. 

"Who are you?" Clarke asked standing up and instantly noticed how on guard she was. The boy behind her was just that, a boy. He couldn't have been too much older than her, he was tall and muscular, but his face held an innocent she hadn't seen for a while in a grounder. Thinking about it there was never really a time other than Lexa that she held a civil conversation with a grounder, she never had this chance before, and she wasn't going to ruin the peace she felt. Clarke stood down and her demeanour relaxed.

"I'm Aster kom trikru." He said reaching out his arm for Clarke to grip which she did and smiled at him. 

"I'm Clarke kom skaikru, and yes I fell from the sky." He smiled at the effort she had taken to talk to him. Her voice was still shaky, and she was scared that she would fall apart any second, but she liked the idea of not being alone. 

"I hope you don't mind but Anya asked us to follow anyone leaving the city limits." He said with a small smile, trying to break the slight awkwardness they both felt. 

"It's okay, we're strangers here. There's no reason to trust us." Clarke said wrapping her arms around her torso, she was only now noticing the cold and her lack of jacket. 

"You saved a life today Clarke, you already have trust." Clarke sat as he finished and motioned down for him to join. They sat far enough apart that they weren't in each other’s space but close enough to see their facial features even in the dark. "Why are you out here so late?" He asked her after a few beats of silence. 

Clarke would be lying if she said she didn’t find him attractive, he was taller than her and had a great body shape with strong muscular arms and a toned stomach from being raised as a fighter. He had shaggy brown hair, the type that flopped when he ran and covered his eyes when the wind blew. He was sporting a chiseled jaw line and cheek bone and full lips, his brown eyes and dark skin. 

"I couldn't sleep." She lied, there was no way she was telling him about the hundreds of dying faces she saw in her dreams. Plus there's no way to explain how she saw what she did without telling the stranger anything. "I'm meeting the commander in a few days and I need her to agree on an alliance." 

"Heda wants peace Clarke, after seeing what my people saw today with you saving that man, she'll listen." He reassured her, Clarke found a lot of comfort in the boy’s company and she was glad he had followed her out here. 

"I should be getting back inside, thank you for following me." She smiled lightly at him and he smiled back as he helped her stand. They said their goodbyes and he hung around in the woods while she went back to her room. 

…

"I didn't hear you come back in last night." Raven said stretching awake the next morning. They rose as the sun did. Even though she came back last night she barely slept. She drifted to sleep once coming back but again her nightmares brought her back and she spent the rest of the early morning trying to understand how they were back here and who else has the potential to come back. 

"I'm going to see Nyko, I have a headache." Clarke said almost ignoring the other two girls who were shaking off their sleep. She left the room without waiting for a reply. The blond almost swore when she saw Anya making her way to their door. 

"Good morning Clarke." She smiled at the younger girl. 

"Good morning." Clarke said rubbing her temples, the vibration of her own voice sent her closer to a migraine. 

"Where are you off to? I was about to invite you all for breakfast." Anya pointed to the room where her two friends were staying. 

"I didn't sleep well last night, and I have a sore head, I was going to see if Nyko had anything for it. The girls are in the room and they would love some food. But if you don't mind, I would like to just to sleep?" Clarke asked but had no intention of doing anything else than fall back into bed. 

"Very well, Nyko will have something but it will make you very sleepy anyway. I will bring some food up to you later." Clarke thanked her and they went in their separate ways. 

...

"Clarke we thought you were dead." Raven said in such relief as the blonds eyes fluttered open. She sat up shakily as she sat up and noticed the stiffness of her muscles. It was dark out and the candles looked like they had been burning for a while. 

"Yeah Clarkey you've been asleep the entire day, you didn't even wake for food." Octavia said drawing attention to the tray of food that sat on the table. 

"Did I miss anything?" Clarke asked wiping the sleep from her eye. 

"No Anya just showed us around the town and took us to the trading grounds." Raven explained as she changed into a pair of shorts and a loser top. 

"I think I'm going to go outside, maybe get some food that hasn't been sitting there for a few hours." Clarke explained and the girls nodded, knowing that Clarke got coped up easy. They all did after being free from the ark after so long. 

"Make sure you sleep tonight though, we need you fresh for the commander." Raven said in a light tone, but they both know that she wasn't joking, and that Clarke did need to be all good for the meeting they would have the following day. 

"I'll be back." Clarke smiled at the girls and they waved as she walked out of the room. 

Clarke found herself walking out of the boundaries of the town. She felt a presence watching her and she knew that there was going to be people watching, but it didn't help the sick feeling she had at the pit of her stomach. 

"Can't sleep again?" A familiar voice called to her and Clarke let out a slight sigh of relief. She turned around to see Aster standing behind her. "I wasn't sure if I should say something, but I can leave if you want to be alone?" He asked which made Clarke smile, her was kind to her and right now she needed that. 

"No it's okay, sit down." She motioned down for him to sit and he did. 

"You're meeting the commander tomorrow, are you still nervous?" He asked facing her.

"Yes, I'm scared that something's going to go wrong. I can't mess this up and I have so many things and people relying on me." Clarke breathed out a shaky breath. There weren’t many times that she would speak about the things going on and affect her, but maybe it was time to. 

"Clarke, you are strong, and it took courage to even come here after an attack from our people. She will see that and will rather peace of war. She will change the way you think about us." He said and Clarke couldn't help but notice how similar his words his were to Lexa's when they were talking about Polis. If some reason Clarke felt compelled to tell him about what happened to her, she needed to get it off her chest, but she was scared that he wouldn't believe her. Or he would tell someone, and bad things could happen to her and her friends. 

"Your people believe in life after death right?" Clarke asked ripping the band aid right off. 

"Sha." He said simply looking at Clarke with a slight confusion. 

"What do you think about it?" She asked him, wanting to know if this was going to be completely crazy or not. 

"Honestly, I never thought about it much. Our people grew up knowing that the commanders are led by the ones before and that is reincarnation. But there are people that have lived in this village since they were born and yet they know how to fight like Azgeda and others who feel at home in the ocean. I think that if different ways we've all lived before. What's this about Clarke?" 

"I've lived before." She stated bluntly and watched his face become even more confused. "I know this is going to sound crazy but hear me out." He nodded before she continued talking. "But it's not like you said, I've lived this life before. I died and it's all happening again." 

"How?" He asked not quite understanding. 

"I don't know. We came down to earth, there was a war between us and you. Three hundred of your warriors died, then my people were captured by the mountain men. Skaikru and the clans made an alliance to take them down and before the battle the commander betrayed my people by freeing yours and leaving mine. Then I killed every in the mountain to get my people out. There was a sliver of peace until my people killed an army sent to protect them. Someone killed your commander and I was blamed for her death and they killed me too." Clarke let out a shaky voice as silence flooded the woods as Aster watched her carefully. His mind was almost racing as fast as hers and Clarke didn't know if he believed her or not.

"There's no way you could have known about the maunon. I believe you Clarke, but I don't know what you want me to do?" He stated it as a question but she didn't know either. 

"I don't know, I just had to tell someone, to know I wasn't crazy." She shrugged her shoulders as she fiddled with something laying on the floor. 

"While you do sound crazy, there are things you know that you have no other way of knowing. Are you going to tell heda about this?" Aster asked and as much as she wanted to run into the commander’s arms tomorrow she knew she couldn't. That even if it was her Lexa they had to keep it professional. But was there really any other way to find out if it was her Lexa without coming straight out with the words. 

"I don't know." She paused and looked at him, he sat back and watched as she struggled with the words. "All I know is things have to be different this time, and if I have to change everything myself then I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lexa will be in the next chapter. can you tell i love the heart break of dragging it all out. and can't say there wont be a lot of chapters full of angst and drama. so don't get hopeful for our girls yet, they still have a war to fight, physical and emotional.  
> make sure to drop comments of what you want to see, i read them all and try to take them into account when writing :))
> 
> also let me know who you want to see with their memorises and the ships you want


	9. nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the moment you've all been waiting for. blue meets green this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> decided to give in and give ya'll two updates in one day. enjoy

Clarke was woken up the next morning with a knock at the door. She stretched awake and lazily stood up. The blond quickly threw on the clothes that were laying by her bed before opening the door to her new friend. 

"Hey Aster." She smiled at him and opened the door wider for them to talk. "What's up?" She asked him. 

"I was wondering if you wanted to get some food before heda comes, maybe I can help in what you're going to say." He offered sweetly and Clarke felt humbled that someone wanted to help her. She wasn't used to this treatment and especially not with a grounder, maybe things were going to be different. 

"Sure, let me grab a coat." Aster nodded and gave her the chance to walk back into the room. "Rae, O, I'm going to get some food. I'll be back once Lexa gets here." She said to the two barely conscious girls who were still lying in bed. 

"So Clarke, are you nervous to meet the commander, again?" Aster asked as they began walking to the marketplace. Clarke almost laughed at the question, she had already met the commander. She knew Lexa more than just the commander of the twelve clans and that's what made her nervous, she couldn't lose Lexa this time, but she didn't know how to protect her without giving everything away. 

"Even having already met her in my past life, yes I'm nervous everything needs to go right." She said offering him the explanation behind her fear. 

"Because if it doesn't people die?" He stated but it sounded more like a question, to which Clarke nodded. 

"Yes, more people that any of us can live with." There was a small silence that fell over them as they reached the dozens of market stalls. 

Clarke had been to Polis before, but she had never had the chance to properly visit Tondc before the bomb from mount weather buried the city under a pile of rubble. There were children running through the alley ways under the sun, and they were laughing a sound so pure to Clarke. The vendors were talking between each other. The food smelt amazing and Clarke's mouth instantly watered. 

"This is amazing." Clarke was still in shock over how civilised they were, if only her people had seen this side, maybe peace would have been an option. 

"Would you like me to get you something?" Aster asked her as her eyes fluttered over the various stalls lining the courtyard. She nodded in response and he told her to stay put while he got the two of them breakfast. 

"This looks so good." She thanked him when he returned with a plate of hot food. She didn't even know what it was but she wasn't asking any questions as the smell hit her and she felt like she was floating, it even got better when she tasted it. It was then that the blond realized she never got food the night before and it had been almost twenty four hours since she last ate. 

"What can you bring the commander?" Aster asked after a few minutes into their meal, Clarke looked up at him not quiet understanding where he was going. "What is she going to get out of this alliance?" He rephrased and the blond nodded at him. 

"We can help take down the mountain." She said to him looking hopeful. 

"You can't know about the mountain yet." He looked at her as her face dropped, he was right. There was no way that the 100 knew about them yet, let alone that they were draining her people. 

"We can turn reapers back to men." Clarke stated again, but he gave her the same look as before. "And we don't know about them yet either or have the equipment we need." She said with a flat voice. 

"You saved that man the other day." He said raising an eyebrow to her. Clarke had a light bulb moment and she smiled at the older boy. 

"Aster you're a genius, that's it." He wanted to smile with her, but he had no idea what she was so happy about. "That man was shot, with a gun. You don't use guns, so we already know there are others. Plus we found a bunker that has guns for my people to use to help take down the mountain. They been training since we left." He wore a small smile as she spoke and nodded along with her ranting. 

"I think you've found your link." He said giving her the hope she needed. Suddenly the courtyard grew loud and people began to yell out. 

"Heda, heda." People began to yell out as a crowd grew by the stalls the pair sat by. 

When the crowd parted Clarke knew Lexa was close. Which made her happy and anxious at the same time. The last time Clarke saw Lexa she was leaving to go back to Arkadia when Titus shot her and the next day Clarke was killed for it. The blond swore her heart stopped when Lexa saw her. The commander stood tall in her armour and instantly made eye contact with the blond. 

"You must be Clarke kom skairkru?" She said sounding more like a question as she came closer to the younger girl. Clarke almost swooned at her former lovers’ words, her heart was racing and all she wanted to do was fall into the older girls arms and cry about everything that had happened. But she knew she couldn’t, so she stood as tall as Lexa and nodded her head. 

"Yes and you must be the commander, it's nice to meet you." Clarke held out her forearm to greet Lexa in their traditional ways which earned the girl a small smile. 

"Heda, thank you for coming so fast. I believe there are things that must be discussed." Anya came over, spoiling the interaction Clarke had been waiting for.

"Sha, the meeting will be in an hour." Lexa spoke to both of them and earned nods from both girls. Anya led the commander away and they stood by the entrance to the room Clarke was first taken to. 

"I should get back to the girls." Clarke said still watching Lexa. Aster helped her pick up the plates holding their food and take them back to the vendor to be cleaned. He also walked back to her room. The entire time Clarke felt a pair of eyes watching her. They knew they were Lexa's, she also knows it was because she was new, although she wished it was for other reasons. 

…

Clarke, Raven, Octavia and Lincoln were led into a dimly lit room, it was a fairly large room with no furniture apart from the throne which sat at the end of the room. It wasn't the real one, but a replicate made light for the travel. Lexa sat on it in her armour and war paint, she looked intimidating as she was in a heated discussion with Indra. The guards brought her attention to the sky girls in the room and all conversation stopped. 

"Heda, skaikru are here to talk of an alliance." A male guard spoke up to her as she stood. 

"Leave us." She said to those who already knew that wouldn't be standing in for the meeting. After the quick shuffling there was only seven of them left. Lexa, Anya, Indra, Clarke, Raven, Octavia and Lincoln. "So Clarke kom skaikru, why are you here?" She asked in her commander voice which made the blonds knees shake, god how she had missed the older girl. 

"There was an attack on my people, four of mine were killed by an attack of your people." Clarke stood tall, looking Lexa in the eyes. She hoped to either intimated her or find a sign in those green eyes that Lexa knew who she was. 

"There was an order of protection on your people, there will be justice Clarke." Lexa stood up and took a step closer to the blond. Everyone else in the room even wondered why they were there, this was obviously between the two leaders but they all stayed and watched what Clarke was going to push for. 

"I came here for justice, but now I think we can help each other." She posed the statement and let it linger and as Lexa raised an eyebrow and tried to speak Clarke began again. 

"The day we got here a man was shot, with a gun, who shot him?" Clarke asked and Lexa paused trying to work out how much she should be telling the strange blond. 

"Yes he was shot with a gun and our people and his family are very grateful for your actions that day Clarke. But we are not the only ones here, our biggest threats survived praimfaya too and they live in the mountain." She explained vaguely but enough that Clarke knew she could continue to push her points.

"My people have guns too." She couldn't continue as Indra rushed forward in a fighting stand thinking there was now a threat. "Not us, but at the camp. I can promise you that we are training our people and they will only be used as protection. My people want peace too, we've never known it, but we need it." Clarke almost pleaded with the leader to trust her and arrange that. 

"Ai nou wich in em." I don't trust them. Indra stated looking the group up and down. 

"Anya?" Lexa asked the other grounder, she had known them for a little longer and had seen what they did to save the man.

"Oso na sis choda au nami. Emo sis au teik daun maunon." We can help each other, they can help us take down the mountain. Anya spoke quickly being on skaikru sides which annoyed Indra. They hadn't been able to take the mountain in almost a hundred years what was different this time. 

"Disha Skaikru ste noseim. Mou bilaik Maunon kom oso." These sky people are different, they're more like the mountain men than us. Indra voiced her opinion again, angry that the commander was considering meeting the blonds requests. 

"Em don sis ai au." They helped us. Anya shot back at her. Lexa was growing annoyed at the bickering, this conversation was going nowhere. 

"Em pleni." Enough. Lexa said stopped both women. 

"Du ai mema daun yu chit osir chich yeson." Do I need to remind you of what we spoke of last night. Indra retorted at the commander. What could Indra be talking about, what could they have spoken about which put their alliance in jeopardy. 

"Nou hir Indra." Not here Indra. Lexa scolded her and finally brought her attention back to Clarke, who was trying to work out what they would have spoken about. "Take me to your camp Clarke, I will talk to your people about the attack and then you will get your alliance." Lexa spoke to the group. 

"And the people who attacked ours?" Raven spoke up for herself which Clarke smiled at. Lexa looked almost shocked at the girl speaking up, and if she had a problem with it, she didn't say anything. 

"They will pay for their crimes." Lexa said nodding her head. "We will leave in the morning." She told the group and they all agreed and thanked her for her time. 

"There will be a feast tonight, please join us." Anya said as she led us out of the room. 

"We will be there." Clarke thanked her and the girls found a spot in the courtyard to sit under the sun and talk about what had happened. 

"You understood them?" Lincoln asked as she joined them, the girls looked at him confused but Clarke knew what he was talking about and nodded. 

"Lexa taught me and I didn't realize I still knew it until that day Anya found us." Raven smiled at this and almost laughed. 

"So you totally spied on their secret meeting. What they say?" 

"Indra doesn't trust us, says we're just like the mountain men. Which is what she thought last time too. Anya trusts us or enough to just take down the mountain." Clarke explained. 

"And the commander?" Octavia asked. 

"Obviously she trusts us enough to go to the drop ship. But Indra did say something weird." Clarke told the girls and Lincoln nodded agreeing. "She said that we shouldn't be trusted because of what they were talking about last night." 

"What could they spoke about, they don't know anything about us?" Octavia asked with a puzzled look on her face. 

"Maybe it is lover girl and they we're talking about how things went last time." Raven said winking at Clarke, but that's where her mind was already going. She didn't know if it was because that thinking was logical or delusional. 

"Don't get my hopes up." Clarke laughed trying to shake the thoughts off. 

"Hey Clarke, how'd it go?" Aster asked coming up to the group, Clarke greeted him and told him to join her and her friends at the table. 

"Guys this is Aster, he's one of the guards here. Aster this is Raven, Octavia and Lincoln." Clarke introduced him to the group. "He's been following and keeping me company when I went out the other nights."

"Yes thank you for making sure she doesn't get eaten by a panther." Raven joked but Clarke shuddered at the thought of her previous panther attack. 

"Will you be at the feast tonight?" He asked after a few minutes. 

"Yeah we will." 

"I'll see you there then, I have to get going. It was nice to meet you all." He said his goodbyes and left the group. Clarke made eye contact with Raven who winked at her. 

"He's into you Clarkey." Raven stated pretending to fan herself off when Clarke went to argue Raven interrupted. "Even commander heart eyes sees it." she said bringing attention to Lexa who was watching the boy who just left the table with one of the hardest looks Clarke had seen.

"Someone’s jealous." Octavia joined in the teasing, both girls laughed at Clarke who's face grew red from the sudden attention.


	10. ten

"Clarkey you look hot baby." Raven whistled at the younger girl as she came out from the bathroom attached to their room. Anya had sent over clothes for the girls to wear, this feast wasn't fancy but it was because the commander was there so it formal and they had decided that the one set of clothes they had wasn't up to standard. 

Clarke was in a pair of leather pants and a blue fitting top, which was a big step up from the dirty long sleeved she had been wearing for the past few days. Raven was sporting a pair of jeans and black and white long-sleeved baseball shirt under her red jacket. Octavia had the same style of pants as Clarke, a burgundy red shirt, and a black jacket. 

"Let’s go eat." Octavia stood up after another rounds of compliments and led the other girls out of the room. 

"Thank you for joining, please sit up here with heda." Anya said to the group as they came into the mess hall. There were rows of tables set out for the villagers and one long table set the other way for the leaders and important people. Clarke, Raven, Octavia, and Lincoln sat across from Lexa, Anya, Indra and Gustus who they hadn't been introduced to yet. 

Lexa eyed Clarke as the food was being set down in front of them, the blond tried to hold conversation with Raven and Octavia as best as she could. She wasn't sure why the commander was staring so hard at her, but she felt small under her gaze.

"Clarke, I think we need to tell them about the ark." Raven whispered into the blonds ear after people began to eat. She was right Lexa deserved to know that more of her people were coming down. Even though Clarke knew that things would be so much simpler if the ark never made it back to the ground, they had a good record of only messing things up more. 

"Commander." Clarke called her attention which was suddenly granted when Anya and Indra also all looked up. 

"Yes Clarke?" She asked as everyone else on the table watched the pairs interaction carefully almost waiting for some big revelation to be made. 

"You know my people fell from the sky, but there's still more up there and they will be coming down soon too." Clarke said with transparency.

"What does that mean for our alliance?" Lexa asked almost like she was waiting on Clarke to commander her on what she wanted done. 

"I don't trust them to be honest with you, and most of my people don't." She said simply, not knowing how to go on. 

"If you do not want them to join you Clarke, then they don't have to." 

"I just can't have anything bad happen." 

"How do you know something bad will?" Anya asked budding into the conversation, which Lexa looked annoyed at but didn't say anything. 

"I just do." Clarke said knowing that there was no way of explaining it from a simple feeling. 

"When are they coming?" Lexa asked. 

"I think in a week, maybe sooner." Clarke said and Lexa nodded ending the conversation they all went back to the food in front of them. 

...

"Clarke we're out of time." Monty yelled at her. She had no choice, she had to pull the lever, or her friends would die. Her mom’s bone marrow was about to be stolen from her body. She had no other way. It was her or them and she wasn't going to let them win. She and Bellamy pulled it together and within minutes they had won. Everyone else was dead. Hundreds of bodies lay still because of one simple action and Clarke would have to spend the rest of her life facing that. 

"Clarke, it's just a dream." Clarke shot up out of the bed for the second time in three nights. Octavia was sitting by her bed this time and was rubbing her shoulder soothingly. Clarke looked across the room and found Ravens bed empty. 

"Where's Raven?" Clarke asked wiping away the sweat on her forehead. Normally Raven would console her, they were able to understand it more, they had lived through it together. 

"She's still out there, I came to check on you." Clarke had left the party earlier than most. The lack of sleep and stress over the last few days had caught up to her and she needed the break. It didn't help seeing Lexa constantly stare at her, it only sent the blonds mind further into overdrive about if it was her Lexa or not. 

"I'm okay, I'm just going to get some air." Clarke said standing up. 

"Do you want me to come with you?" Octavia asked but she declined, she normally didn't end up alone most nights so she wasn't in the need of more company. She was right a few minutes after arriving at the clearing Aster came out and sat by her side. 

"Not in the party mood?" He asked her. 

"No, not really. You don't have to be here though you go enjoy yourself." Clarke suggested to him. 

"I'll go back soon, but I just wanted to see why you were running away tonight. I saw you left earlier as well. Anya put me on the detail to your camp tomorrow." He smiled at her. 

"Glad to know there'll be a familiar face on the way." Clarke looked to the older boy and gave him a genuine smile. She felt him moving closer to her, but she didn't expect the lips that were soon on her own. His lips were full and soft, but they were nothing like the ones she wished to be kissing. Clarke pulled away as quick as it started.

"Aster, I'm sorry." She went to clear up the situation, but he slowly backed up as well, knowing he'd miss read their interaction. 

"Clarke, no I shouldn't have done that." Aster looked away with a slight twinge to his face, obviously embarrassed. Clarke felt bad for him, he had misread the signs, and she couldn’t really tell him she was still hung up on the commander of the twelve clans. 

"Aster, I have a lot going on and I'm not available right now. I have to go." The blond got up and made her way back to her room, she had to tell the girls what just happened. 

"Clarke what's wrong?" Octavia asked as she barged back into the room. They were both in their respective beds but weren't asleep yet. Raven sat up and looked the blond up and down at her panicked state. 

"Aster just kissed me." Clarke said speaking quickly. Octavia was by her side and helped her sit down, Clarke was on the edge of what felt like a panic attack. It was too much for her, her head was spiralling from the past few days and at the pit of her stomach she felt something was off, this only added to it. 

"Hey, it'll be okay Clarke. Did you stop it?" Raven asked. The three of the spent the rest of the night talking about what had happened and the pair tried to help ease Clarke’s mind into a dreamless sleep.   
…

"I'm really going to miss sleeping in a real bed." Raven complained on the way back to the drop ship. 

The commander had kept her promise and they would make the trek to the camp. Clarke was nervous going back to the camp, she hoped that her people would accept the help that Clarke was trying to offer them, especially how things went last time. Things had been slightly awkward with Aster who had been keeping his distance. Clarke didn’t like it, she had grown a liking to him over the last couple days and she hoped that once the rejection wore off they could be friends. Clarke was grateful for Raven who was talking everyone's ears off about the random things that pop into her head. 

"I am not ready to sleep on the floor again." Clarke laughed with her thinking back to the tent that they would go back to sharing. The last few days in a real bed had done wonders for her back in ways she didn't even know she was struggling with. 

"Hey love birds, are you guys gonna be sleeping with us or back in the bushes?" Raven asked shouting to Lincoln and Octavia who were walking together a few paces behind them. They quickened their strides to catch up with them. 

"You want to sleep with us?" Octavia asked the older girl wriggling her eyebrows. Raven instantly turned red and slapped her shoulder as the others laughed at the joke she walked straight into. 

"You couldn't handle this." Raven shot back. Clarke laughed at the two girl’s interaction. They were finally friends in a way that they could never have been last time. They were all too busy fighting the same wars separately that they ended up just fighting each other. But now they were close, and they all know that they could fall back on the others. 

"Hod op." Wait. Lexa's voice boomed over the now silent woods. Everyone stopped, even the girls who didn't know what she said. Suddenly the air felt thick and Clarke could feel it in her bones something was wrong, they were close to the camp. Clarke left the middle of the group and found her way to the commander who was leading the party. 

"What's going on?" Clarke asked not being able to see past the line of leaders. Clarke went to step in front of them all, but Lexa quickly pulled her back.

"No Clarke." Lexa's face was hard but also showed some emotion. Clarke was getting angry and anxious at what was going on and why she was being denied access to look at her own camp. 

"Stop, let me go." Clarke pushed past the commander and suddenly it made sense why she was being pushed back. The first thing she noticed was the fence that once stood tall protecting her friends was crumpled to the floor. 

Her heart stopped as she noticed the silence was even heavier than before. Clarke left the group and ran into the camp and there was no one. Her friends were gone, and she didn't know what to do or what to think. The opening of the drop ship door provided the first bit of noise to the woods. Five people, Bellamy, Murphy, Harper, Wells and Monty ran out to them guns raised high as they yelled out. 

"Stop, it's me. It's Clarke." The blond yelled out with her hands raised. 

"Clarke?" The deep voice called out to her. It was Bellamy standing in front of the others. His voice was full of fear as was his face. 

"Bell?" Octavia ran into the camp hearing her brothers voice. The others followed by quickly all looking the camp up and down. Something went wrong here, but what they couldn't tell. 

"What happened here?" Clarke asked placing her hand on Bellamy's shoulder trying to calm him down. 

"They happened." Bellamy said pointing his gun straight at the commander. Suddenly guns and swords were raised at each other.


	11. eleven

"Stop, talk to me. What happened." Clarke yelled again, and they listened to her, Bellamy lowered his gun and the others followed through. Clarke and Octavia stood in front of everyone. Lexa saw the range in Bellamy’s eyes, and she wasn’t about to put herself in the firing range. The blond turned around to the others and nodded at Lexa who made her warriors lower their weapons as the guns were lowered. 

“Bell.” Octavia crossed the open space and run into the arms of her brother, who tightly wrapped his arms around the younger girl. “What happened?” She asked as she noticed him calm down slightly. 

“We were attacked, last night.” Bellamy started as the pain and anger flashed through his eyes again. 

“Where are they?” Murphy yelled to Lexa. “How did you take them all, where are they?” He was even louder and if it wasn’t for Bellamy quickly pulling him back it would have become physical. Lexa’s guards noticed this, and they all stood on guard. 

“Stop it wasn’t her, they didn’t do this.” Clarke pleaded with them. “Wells what happened, if you don’t trust them, trust me.” He nodded at her, she had appealed to his heart and like always it worked. 

“Last night Bellamy, Murphy and I went hunting for food before it got dark. We heard a crash and came back to camp, but we saw red smoke filling the air. They wanted to go in and see what was happening, but I felt in my gut that if we went in, we weren’t coming out. So, we went to Lincolns cave and hid there until this morning. We came back to nothing.” He explained with a heavy heart and all three boys looked ashamed as they admitted they hid instead of going back for their friends. 

“Hey, you did what you had to, to survive and without you being here we would have no idea what happened to you.” Clarke said gripping onto Wells arm and giving him a sad smile. 

“How did you guys make it out?” Raven asked Monty and Harper who hadn’t been out hunting with the boys. 

“We we’re on the top level on the drop ship fixing the radio, we locked it and they couldn’t get in.” Monty explained to the group.

“What did these people look like?” Lexa asked taking a careful step towards the sky people.

“Dressed in all black.” Wells answered.

“Masks?” Indra asked from behind them. 

“Yes.” Bellamy asked with a slight look of confusion. 

“Guns?” She asked again. 

“Yes.” He answered back instinctively gripping his tighter. 

“Maunon.” Lexa said with an angered voice, even though they knew it was them it had been confirmed. 

“Maun what?” Murphy asked with annoyance to his voice. 

“Mountain men, they live in mount weather and have been our greatest enemy. We have lost many men women and children to the mountain.” Lexa explained to the group and Clarke could feel a slight tension ease as her people realized that Lexa’s people were not the ones to do this. 

Clarke zoned out of the explanation of the mountain as she looked around the drop ship. Things were out of place and tents had been ransacked. But there were no burnt bodies of the three hundred grounders as there had been last time. The mountain had attacked a lot faster than they had last time. They had been on the ground for all of two weeks last time it had been at least what felt like a month. Her blood ran cold as the possibility of maybe certain leaders being from her time too, but she had never thought about those from the mountain. 

“Clarke?” Someone put an arm on her shoulder and shook her from her own mind. She looked up and saw Raven looking at her confused. She also looked around and saw that she had walked away from the group who still stood at the gate, she was now by one of the walls which had been pulled down. “What’s wrong?” She asked looking concerned for her friend. 

“It’s too early Rae, they waited longer last time. What changed?” Her mind continued to race. “What if they’re here too and they already know what to do with our bone marrow. 

“Hey, you can’t think like that. You’ve changed a lot and maybe they sensed that, we had a fence and a radio you were already making deals with the commander. You can’t deny that this time around you’re a force to be reckoned with and maybe the mountain noticed that.” Ravens words calmed down the blond and after a few more moments they made their way back to the group. 

“Sorry I just needed a moment.” She apologised as she felt everyone’s attention to her. “We need to know everything about the mountain, nothing left out.” Clarke spoke strong keeping eye contact with Lexa who nodded at her. 

“Your people have agreed to come back to TonDC with us, we will tell you there.” She explained and Clarke nodded at the arrangement. The grounders gave them time to search through the camp and get what they needed to return with them.

“Clarke.” The blond’s attention was turned to the drop ship when her name was called by Monty. She took off running the small distance. “Up here.” He called down to them as he heard the footsteps in the ship. Clarke joined Monty and Raven upstairs as the others stayed down. 

“I fixed it while you left. We haven’t heard anything until now.” He told her as he spoke into the speaker of the radio. 

“Clarke?” She heard her mothers voice and jumped over to the box with tears in her eyes and a relieved smile on her face. 

“Mom, it’s me.” 

“It’s so good to hear your voice baby.” Clarke could practically hear her mom smile as she spoke. “We worked it out, it was a lot of guess work and we still don’t know if it’ll work but we’re coming down tonight.” Abby spoke in an excited voice as the dread filled Clarkes veins, how was she going to explain that they weren’t coming back to much.

“Mom I need you to get the council and get them to the radio.” Clarke instructed. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. 

“I’ll explain with everyone.” Abby agreed and told her daughter to give her a few minutes to gather everyone, while she did Clarke explained to Lexa that she needed to tell the people on the ark what was happening. They let her have the time. Bellamy and Harper were talking to the grounders about life on the ark while they shared stories of their time on the ground. 

“We’re all ready Clarke.” Her mom radio back in and Clarke took a deep breath getting ready to explain the situation. 

“We’re not alone on the ground, people survived the bombs.” Clarke began, there was a long silence than they were preparing for but when Abby got back to them, they could hear the extra panicked voices in the back ground. The last thing she needed was everyone freaking out. 

“How is that even possible?” Abby asked in her mother voice. 

“We don’t know, but they’re alive and they’re helping us.” She said trying to calm the nerves of everyone on the council. 

“Helping with what?” Abby asked. 

“There was an attack on our people.”

“You just said they were helping.” A deep voice came through the radio.

“Dad?” Wells took a hold of the speaker. 

“Wells, my boy.” If it wasn’t for the desperate nature of the call Clarke would have let this conversation between the two of them go longer but she took back the mic after a few exchanges.

“There are still people living in mount weather and they kidnapped almost all of the kids in the camp, the grounders are going to help us get them back. We have an alliance with them, and you are likely to come in contact with them when you’ve landed. Both us and them are on strict orders not to harm the other. As soon as there’s any attack the deal is off, and our people may die in the mountain.” Clarke explained to the adults in the most powerful voice she could find. 

“Understood Clarke, once we land, we will find you and help get back the others.” Abby confirmed. Jaha took over talking and the blond let him, and his son catch up while she dragged Raven into a secluded space in the ship. 

“What’s with that look princess?” Raven as raised an eyebrow at her friend’s expression. “You have an idea, don’t you?” She didn’t know if it was such a good thing for the other girl to be able to read her so well, but she let it go. 

“Last time when the ark fell apart there was a part of the ark that we thought wouldn’t make it, but it landed not far from mecha.” Clarke said not knowing the details but hoping that the mechanic would. 

“Factory station. But it wouldn’t be able to hold the weight of passengers, anymore than its already holding and it’ll crash.” Raven said running the calculations in her head. 

“Take everything you can out and put people, there’s no way to make it even but as long as there’s no massive change it should hold.” Clarke said and the mechanic seemed to agree with her as she raised an eyebrow and smile. “Put farm station in there, they won’t end up in Azgeda and they’ll reach us a lot faster.” Clarke optioned and the older girls lit up. 

“Clarke you’re a genius, obviously not my level, but damn good job girl.” Raven quickly ran over to the radio and asked to speak to Sinclair.

Clarke listened to Raven and her mentor calculate the chance of survival and as much as he argued that there wasn’t a great chance of success Raven used her charm to get her way. It hadn’t dawned on the blond how heavily this was weighing on her until she realized that there was a potential way to make the encounter at Azgeda which in the long run would solve a lot of problems they were going to face. She just hoped that the risk was worth it, if factory station didn’t hold and they all died it was all on Clarke who had also forced Raven into it. 

“How did it go?” Bellamy asked as she hit the floor of the drop ship once Raven and Sinclair signed off to prepare for the launch. 

“Good, heda my people are coming down from the sky soon. I know we haven’t set it up or agreed on terms but I told them we had an alliance with your people, by telling them this they agreed that there will be no attack on yours when they come down, and I hope that alliance or not the same deal can be made with yours.” Clarke looked on hopeful. Without the promise of a broken alliance there was nothing stopping an attack from either side and saying they already had one rather than they were setting it up solidified the fear of it being broken. 

“While normally a lie about an alliance would be an act of defiance against me and my collation, I will take pity on the girl who lost her people today. An alliance has not been set yet, but the terms will be discussed tonight and without an attack from your people when they land will only set it, understand?” The commander looked at the blond with such intensity that would make anyone turn away and shutter, but Clarke stood her ground and nodded. It irritated Clarke to be called only a girl whose emotions was controlling her, especially after she was known as Wanheda previously. But she had to earn Lexa’s trust and she would do that by showing her she was more than just a girl. 

“Sha.” Yes. Clarke spoke in her language, which earned a few raised eyebrows but the slightest nod from Lexa. “We will come back to Tondc if that offer still stands.” Clarke asked the commander who nodded and order her warriors and guards to leave the drop ship. 

…

“Leave us.” Lexa ordered her guards who stood in the meeting room they had been standing in only a day before having the same conversation. As soon as they returned to Tondc Lexa led Clarke’s people the room opposite from the one the girls shared and opened it for the boys to share. Everyone stayed within one of the rooms waiting for dinner while Clarke and Bellamy met with the heda, Anya and Indra to discuss the terms of an alliance and what they could offer each other.

“This alliance will be set upon a war, I am not sure what will happen after the fall of the mountain, but I can say that we will fight side by side during it.” Lexa spoke to the pair. It wasn’t what Clarke wanted, she wanted lasting peace, but she knew how hard that was to attain. So, an alliance based on war was better than one that hadn’t been form at all. 

“I understand commander, and we will be happy to fight for both of our people and the hopes to earn a lasting understanding once the mountain has fallen.” Clarke spoke with a high confidence, showing that she was fine with the terms being offered to them. 

“I know you want your people back, as do we. But this war has been brewing for almost a hundred years and the mountain won’t be taken in a day. I hope you and your people are ready to train and prepare for a war.” Lexa spoke.

“I was not expecting so. Our people come down tomorrow and while they will be wanting to set up a civilisation the most pressing matter is the safety of our people. The guard will be willing to fight and have the same guns that those in the mountain do. We can offer that protection of long-range weapons that yours can’t.” Bellamy spoke up for the first time, explaining that having the same technology didn’t meant they were the same as the mountain men but helped even the playing fields. 

“Our people do not fight with those.” Indra spat at him.

“We know, but we do, and they can help you get close enough to fight.” Clarke looked at her as she tried to explain the positive of not only bring swords to a gun fight. 

“Their use of weapons always prevented us from getting close to them, maybe the boys right and they can offer the protection we need.” Anya agreed nodded as the blond spoke. 

“And your people will be willing to fight?” Lexa asked her. 

“Yes, they want peace down here.” Bellamy answered for her and Clarke agreed. 

“My mom is a doctor on the ark, you have healers here they can help each other. With the use of our technology and your knowledge we can help the injured warriors.” Clarke brought up the idea knowing that ark had years of knowledge from the old world that the grounders didn’t, while the grounders had the use of the materials and supplies available on the ground while they didn’t.

“Sha, sky girl is right. She brought a dead man shot buy the maunon back to life.” Anya said revisiting the memory of the day she met the blond. 

“Very well, you have an alliance Clarke kom skaikru. There better be no attack tomorrow.” Lexa said nodding her head.


	12. twelve

“Clarke I am sorry about your people, and I do hope that the rest of them get to the ground safely.” Lexa confronted Clarke after their meeting. They were alone in the room, Indra and Anya were off showing Bellamy and the other boys the fighting rings where they would teach them to fight early the next morning. Clarke stayed behind waiting for the other girls to arrive so they could get some much-needed food together. 

“Thank you, commander. I told my mom where to meet us after they land but they could be landing anywhere from here to the other side of the country. Are there many other clans?” Clarke asked playing down the knowledge she already had, there was no way that she was going to know farm station would land in Azegda and she couldn’t tell Lexa so. 

“There is an order of protection for your people and while it didn’t initially involve the people still in the sky when you told me the other night about the chance of more people falling I sent riders to the clans to warn of this and the order is set for them too. Your people should be safe when they land tomorrow.” Lexa told her, there was never a guarantee of safety but both girls were trusting that there wouldn’t be an attack on anyone the following day. 

“Ready Clarkey?” Raven asked as she entered the room side by side with Octavia being led in by a guard. Clarke smiled at her presence back to the commander who nodded, dismissing her. She said her goodbyes and followed Raven and Octavia into the hall towards the food stands. 

“So how’d the meeting go?” Octavia asked as they walked. 

“It was good, we got the alliance, as long as there’s no attack tomorrow. She said that even though it’s based on a brewing war if all things go well then we should have a longer lasting one after.” The blond told them as they exited the hallway out into the dimly light courtyard. The sun had set, and candles lit the way. 

“Better than nothing, at least they’ll help us get our friends back.” Octavia said shrugging her shoulders. Raven and Clarke looked at each other nervously knowing what happened the last time they fought the mountain together. Octavia looked at the two girls and knew that she was obviously missing something. “What is it?” She asked feeling left out of the loop. 

“Nothing, we’ll talk later.” Clarke said looking behind the girl sitting opposite her and seeing that the boys and Harper were coming back to the table with Aster following the way. When they sat down, he stood by them awkwardly. It was clear that the got along with the grounder teen, but he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to step over anymore lines and interrupt Clarke and her friends. 

“I see you guys met Aster.” Clarke said smiling at him and shuffling over on the bench they sat at. “Sit, join us.” He looked at her and to the others who nodded, even Raven who was against the move he pulled on her best friend the other day. But seeing it didn’t affect Clarke she didn’t have a problem with it. 

“I’m going to grab some food.” Murphy said, he and Wells got up and asked what everyone else wanted before walking away. 

“I find their friendship so ironic. Who would have thought John Murphy best buddies with the chancellor’s kid?” Bellamy laughed. Clarke and raven both laughed too, it was more ironic than any of them knew. 

“What’s a chancellor?” Aster asking looking at Bellamy. 

“It’s like the commander but a lot less bad ass.” Raven explained. She wasn’t wrong, and Jaha was nowhere as bad ass as Lexa. 

“Where’s Lincoln?” Raven asked noticing his missing presence. They hadn’t seen him since they got back from the dropship. 

“He and Nyko were going to the stream to get a certain type of seaweed that he needs for an antidote.” Octavia asked shrugging her shoulders. Once again something felt off to Clarke, there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach just as there had been when they were on their way to the dropship. 

…

“Clarke, they’re coming down.” The blond was shaken away from a frantic Raven who looked to be full of fear and excitement all in one. 

“What?” Clarke asked still struggling to make out real words from the sentence. Octavia threw a jumper at her as she climbed out of the warmth of her bed, she looked over to Harper who was the same as her and without many more questions asked she was pushed into the hall where the boys were already waiting for them. 

“Let’s go.” Raven said leaving the room to go outside to watch the ark break through the atmosphere.

“Have you even slept yet?” Murphy asked her as the group walked into the clearing just outside Tondc. 

“Nope, Tavi and I have been waiting for this.” She explained, Clarke had no idea how she’d stayed up till the early light of dawn and wasn’t yet tired, instead she had just as much energy as usual. 

“Clarke.” The blond turned her attention to the side where Aster was standing a few strides away from Lexa and Anya who were also watching the sky. 

“Hey, do you ever sleep?” Clarke laughed at the boy who always seemed to be close by. 

“Normally you go back to bed I do too. But tonight, I stayed out with Raven and Octavia waiting for the ship to fall.” He explained watching the sky as the ark fell to the ground. 

“Clarke.” Another voice called to her she turned her head to see Lexa standing by the couple. Aster smiled at the commander and went to join Octavia and Raven who were standing with the others few strides away. “I’ve seen that you and Aster are getting along.” 

“He’s a nice guy.” She stated simply, not knowing what more to say. 

“I’m assigning him as your guard.” She said looking on to the sky. “For your protection, is that okay?” Even though she’d asked the question Clarke knew that she had no choice in the matter and she’d rather a friend than a stranger, so she agreed. “Good, now once this ship lands my riders will be sent to bring them back, you and your friends are welcome to come with us.” She offered. 

“Thank you, commander, I will speak to them and let you know.” Clarke said with a grateful smile. 

“He keeps looking over at you. Do you have feelings for this boy Clarke?” Lexa asked as she side eyed the teen who noticed and quickly looked away. 

“No, he’s just a friend.” Clarke said as she felt the red creep onto her face. The commander nodded before leaving the blonde to her thoughts. All hope had been lost in that moment, she knew that it wasn’t the Lexa that she had spent some of the most private moments with. The Lexa that fought for her against Titus. The Lexa that kissed her in the tent on the brink of war. Clarke had been holding out hope that it was her, but she couldn’t keep pretending that she still had that chance. Her Lexa wasn’t here.

“We can go with them when they get our people.” Clarke said walking back to her group after she composed herself, she stood by Raven who instantly wrapped an arm around her sensing the mood change. 

“What’s wrong princess?” She asked pulling her close and barely talking over a whisper so the others wouldn’t hear. Clarke leaned her head on the older girl’s shoulder and took in a deep breath. 

“It’s not her.” Clarke said and Raven turned her head to look at Clarke. “She thinks I’m into Aster.” Her voice was deflated, and Raven could sense just how hurt the girl was. 

“It’ll be okay hunny, soon enough she won’t be able to resist you and commander heart eyes will be all over you.” Raven said in her usual cheery voice as she ran circles into the blonds skin, calming her down as they watched the ark finally come closer to the ground. 

…

“Mom?” Clarke yelled out as she saw the hatch to mecha station pop open and a lady come out with dark hair. Clarke remembered her saying that she had been the first out of the ark. Clarke was so happy to watch the expression on her mother’s face as she looked at the lake and mountains surrounding them. She saw her lips moving as she spoke into the intercom connected to the other stations. Clarke led the team of grounders that she had with her down into the clearing. She was with Raven as well as a ground of four warriors who came to offer services to anyone that needed it. 

“Clarke?” Abby called out to her daughter when she turned around at the sound of crunching leaves and sticks. “My baby, I’m so happy to see you.” She raced over to the side of the ship and smiled at her mother. 

“Help me up, I’ll help get others out.” Clarke said to Aster who helped to boost her up and Abby grabbed her arms pulling her up. The pair instantly wrapped each other into a hug both breathing in the others familiar smell. 

“Clarke, it’s good to see you my friend.” Kane said smiling as he pulled himself up from the hatch in the ship. Abby and Clarke helped him out the hole before quickly reaching down to help the others out. 

They made quick work and while the mother daughter pair helped everyone from the station, Aster and the other guards helped them off the giant metal box. Once they were down on the ground Raven welcomes them and made sure they were all doing okay. Most were still terrified and cautiously watched the unknown grounders but made no move to act out on the feelings. 

“Where now Clarke?” Aster asked as he helped her down once everyone was on the ground. 

“There’s smoke over there, we head there get the survivors and then back to camp.” Clarke told him as he nodded. He left her to go and talk to the other guards as she spoke to her people. 

“I know there’s a lot of emotions you must be feeling right now, there was when we landed but I need you all to stay calm. As you can all tell we’re not alone here, others have been living on the ground for as long as we were in the ark. They are here to help us so please stay open to interactions with them, we are going to walk to the other crash site and then back to a grounder camp where they will provide food and water.” Clarke spoke in her leader voice. No one had any objections to her plan, and they all nodded, still amazed they were down on earth. 

“Let’s go see Pike.” Clarke breathed out as her and Raven took the front of the group just behind two of the guards. 

“At least Azgeda won’t get to them.” Raven said thinking positive. 

The group walked for little over an hour, before taking a break. They would have been closer to the other station but they had most of the kids split between mecha and alpha station, so it was taking longer than anticipated. 

“Is the food good?” One of the teens asked the girls who giggled at the question. 

“It’s amazing, so much better than the rations on the ark.” Raven said with wide eyes to her. For most of the walk the two girls had been answering questions about the ground and what to expect. No one had asked about the other kids from the ark and they were grateful for that. They would have that conversation later that evening when most people had made it back to Tondc. 

… 

“Thank god.” Clarke breathed out a sigh of heavy relief as they reached factory station which was still in tack and there was a group of people standing in the clearing with a few grounders sent to protect them. 

“Abby, Kane, nice to see you two.” Pike said shaking their hands. He looked happy, nothing to show that there was any kind of incident between either party. The other guards were standing with hers and everyone seemed easy and happy to be on the ground. 

“Mr. Pike, nice to see you again.” Clarke shook his hand. “We have to get back to our camp, is anyone injured, can they all walk?” She had to play it professional, no matter how much she wanted to attack him. 

“We’re find, nothing than a few scratches and bruises. But were on the ground, that’s what matters here.” He smiled and followed Clarke back to the path they were following. Both Clarke and Raven smiled at each other, maybe they did have a real chance to change things.


	13. thirteen

“People of the ark welcome to the ground.” Kane stood on a makeshift stage just on the outskirts of where the alpha station had fallen as all the arrived stations gathered. There were only two stations that hadn’t returned, but they should be arriving later the night or early morning if they had made the fall to earth. Once returning to Tondc with her people they went back to alpha station where they would set up camp for the arkers. Tondc wasn’t big enough to hold them and they would have rather stayed at what was once home for them than a new strange place. 

“Thank you for all trusting in us and making this journey to the ground with us. Tomorrow morning, we should have all our people with us but for now we have most. You all know that we sent a hundred youth to the ground see if it was survivable which it is. I would like Clarke to come and speak to you.” Kane introduced as he left her group of friends to the podium. 

“Welcome. I’m Clarke Griffin, and while on the ground myself and Bellamy Blake took control and led the hundred. Now I know many of them are your sons and daughters, but I have bad news to share.” Clarke said as loud and comforting her voice could carry. She paused as the ground began to get loud, once it died down, she started again. “Two days ago there was an attack on our people, not by those that offered their help today, but by a group that lives in a bunker in the mountain. These same people have been doing it to the grounders for almost a hundred years, but this stops with us. We are going to team up and work together to get both of our people back. I know this is a lot to take in, but we will get them back, it’ll take time and planning, but we will get our people back.” Clarkes voice was heavy with doubt and fear as she watched the reactions in the crowd, but most were sad at the lost of their children who were sent to the ground. 

“How many died before this?” A woman called out to her worried about their child. 

“Eight.” Clarke said with regret that she couldn’t save eight people.

“Who?” They called out.

“Drew, Roma, Atom, Finn, Charlotte, Trina, Pascal and Dickson. If you have any question about their deaths, please come and see me and we can talk.” Clarke said into the crowd looking at the peoples whose faces seemed to drop, and they stood frozen.

“Tough gig, you spoke well princess.” Bellamy said pulling her into a much-needed hug. Within a few minutes she had a small crowd of people to ask about the death of their children. Clarke took in a deep breath and spoke to each family, wishing there was more she could have done. 

…

“Tomorrow a group of the parents want to go to the drop ship to say goodbye to their kids that are buried there.” Clarke explained as she sat in one of the meeting rooms, talking with her mom, Kane and her friends from the hundred. They were eating the food that the grounders had dropped off for them as they talked about the plans for the next few days. 

“I need to get my radio.” Raven said as an offer to take them. 

“I can go too.” Bellamy said to which she smiled at. 

“Indra and Anya said we can learn to fight with them over the next few days, I’ll be going there tomorrow.” Octavia explained to the group. 

“I’m needed at Tondc too.” Clarke spoke up and caught Raven wink at her, the blond rolled her eyes and went back to her meal. 

“I would like to meet these people.” Kane said to which her mom agreed, and Clarke promised to set up a meeting within the following few days. 

“We can set up training drills with what we found at the bunker.” Bellamy said as the conversation turned to fighting the mountain and getting their people back. 

“We also need set up some kind of communication.” Abby said. “It’s going to be hard getting information to each other if were in different areas.” She put in her input and everyone agreed. 

“Monty and I can make some kind of long-range radio for that.” Raven offered on his behalf as he was eating dinner with his parents. The only other person missing was Wells, who was upset about his father needing to stay back in space to save his people. 

“I think it’s time to get some rest, we have a busy few weeks ahead of us.” Kane said as he stood up collecting the dishes they had. The others agreed and found themselves a space to sleep. 

…

It had been a few days since the ark had landed and Clarke couldn’t have wished for anything better. Despite the growing fear of war against the mountain her people were setting up what would soon be known as camp Jaha. The two other stations had returned the day after everyone else and no one had been seriously injured thankfully. The days were mostly spent with the people from the ark setting up their new establishment, the council talking of war plans and whether they should trust the grounds despite the alliance Clarke had set up. Her people were split between Tondc and the drop ship, 

Octavia, Bellamy, Murphy and Wells were at Tondc with Indra and her warriors learning how to fight. Even though they preferred guns the ark had taught no one of any type of deference and her people saw there to be a need of more than just guns. Raven, Harper and Monty were at the drop ship fixing the radios they’d found from the ark, they were making them long range with the hopes of sharing them between clans to make communication easier than a horse messenger. Clarke was going to the drop ship from the ark after a few days spent arguing with members of the council. She hadn’t completely convinced them, but she had promised a meeting a certain grounder to explain the mountain to them and that their team work was important to their success. 

“Do you really think we can take down the mountain?” Aster asked as they walked through the forest to the ship. Just as Lexa said he was her new personal guard and while he wouldn’t follow her at the ark he walked with her between sites. As much as Clarke knew she didn’t need a bodyguard it was nice not to be alone, especially knowing that the mountain men were still out their and how many times they’d threatened her previous life. 

“We did last time, even though that didn’t go to plan hopefully this time it will.” She told him. Clarke had no problem telling Aster about what had happened the last time and what was different, she trusted him and it was nice to talk to someone about it. He offered a lot of help that she didn’t think of. He’d known about more of the grounder history than she had and provided an insider’s insight on her problems.

“What happened last time?” He asked curiously, Clarke almost laughed at his question. Could she betray his commander and paint her as the coward that her people saw her as after the mountain? 

“A lot of people died.” She decided on not wanting to too in details of the horrors of mount weather. The two entered the fallen gates into the dropship and went straight upstairs to find her friends spread around the room. 

“Hey princess.” Raven smiled standing up and wrapping the younger girl into a hug and then giving one too Aster as well. They all said their hellos and sat by one of the workstations. “So how’s it going at the ark?” 

“It’s okay most people are settling in, the councils driving me crazy they don’t think we can trust the grounders. They want a meeting with the commander and hopefully she can clear up how much we need each other.” Clarke explained to the group who nodded along. 

“God adults are dumb.” Harper rolled her eyes hearing the complaints. 

“Things sure would be less messy if they let us control things.” Raven laughed knowing that a lot of problems would be solved without them. 

“So where are we with the radios?” Clarke asked looking around the room to see all the tech that they had acquired from the fallen ark. 

“We have around fifteen ready to go, most made it to the ground fine others just needed a little touch up but mount weather is still blocking the air and we can’t talk to each other through them.” Raven said looking at Clarke. They had been through this before and they knew that the only way to get the signal up was to either blow the antenna or turn it off from inside mount weather. 

“Why don’t you guys go take a break, go for a walk.” Clarke told the pair, she needed to talk to Raven and didn’t have the time to explain things to Monty and Harper and how she knew about it. 

“Clarke have you wondered why I locked us in instead of trying to help our friends?” Monty said giving her a questioning look and raising an eyebrow at her. 

“Because you were scared.” She offered as a reasonable response, that’s what the boys had done. 

“Because I knew that they were from mount weather and I knew why they were here, sure it was quicker than last time but I wasn’t about to be kidnapped for my bone marrow again when I knew I’d be more help out here.” He said with a cheeky smile watching both Clarke and Raven’s face changed from confused to shocked. 

“You’ve been here all this time and you didn’t say anything?” Raven asked with her mouth hanging wide open as she slapped his shoulder. “And you?” She asked looking at the other blond. 

“No, Monty told me what he was going through, and I didn’t believe him at first, but he knew way too much to make it up.” She said with a sad look that Octavia often sported when they spoke things from the past. 

“Wait, how did you die?” Clarke asked. 

“Fire.” He said, the same as Raven.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Clarke asked him.

“I wasn’t sure at the start and then it all made sense when you went to find the commander. But I knew for sure when I learnt that farm station didn’t land in Azgeda. That had to be your doing.”

“Couldn’t risk a Pike 2.0.” Raven laughed and they all agreed. “So do you know of anyone else?” She asked him. 

“Nope only me, who else do you know? Octavia?” He asked. Which made sense from day one Clarke and Octavia had been side by side which wasn’t the usual sight last time. 

“No just Rae, Lincoln and I.” Clarke said looking a little disappointed wishing there was more of them.

“What about the commander, she died around the same time.” He asked, which also made sense she had agreed to the new alliance, she either put a lot of trust into Clarke or she remembered just how much she trusted Clarke.

“As far as we know, no she doesn’t remember.” Clarke explained. 

“What were you trying to kick us out to talk about?” Harper asked after a few moments, knowing there was more pressing matters at hand. 

“Right, mount weather, they’re jamming the signals the same as last time. We face the same problem I can blow the tower to stop the jamming but then we can’t hear what they say. How did you guys do it last time?” Raven asking, at least this time they’d have someone that had been on the inside that could help. This was going to be easier than they thought. 

“I hacked into their system.” He said pondering his thought. “I don’t know how to do that without being there, and the last time we only knew it worked because we had the radio playing.” He said with his usual thinking face on, the same one that Raven was sporting of her own.

“I’ve been thinking, last time we had an inside man. We need that again.” Clarke said pulling their attention to her.

“Clarke no.” Raven interrupted any further thought.

“It’s the only way.” She pushed back. 

“Care to fill us in?” Aster spoke up for the first time in a while. 

“She wants to go back to the mountain.” Raven said with an annoyed tone. 

“Like Bellamy last time?” Monty asked her and she nodded in response. 

“Why not Bell he did it last time. You need to be out here, what if they walk into something you see coming.” Raven said in what sounded like an angry voice but was really worry. 

“Because I know what to do and take them down, he doesn’t know yet. If something goes wrong, I don’t think I can live with that, not again.” She said thinking back to the hundred of faces that haunt her dreams. 

“I can go in with him. I know the tech and what needs to be taken down.” Monty offered and as smart as it sounded no one wanted to risk anyone’s life. 

“We’ll go to the antenna we did last time, see if we can hack into it wait a computer from the ark, if not then we think about putting someone in there.” Clarke told them, they all knew this wasn’t her asking or planning so they nodded along, expect for Raven.

“And how are we going to make it work?” She asked rolling her eyes, they had lost all electricity. 

“You built a car last time Rae, I’m sure you can turn on a computer.” Clarke said annoyed. They thought it would be easy taking down the mountain a second time, but as much as they wanted to say things were they same they were very different, and this time they knew all the outcomes of their actions. 

“I can help.” Monty turned to Raven as Clarke stood up and Aster followed suit. 

“I have to go back to Tondc and convince the commander to talk to our council. Stay safe and we’ll back in a couple days.” The blond said to the group in a lower tone felling back about her minor outburst, they were all feeling it, the last thing they needed was Clarke on top of that.


	14. fourteen

“The mountain has always been our greatest enemy, many wars have began against and all have failed, that’s why we wish that with the help of skaikru we can take the mountain once and for all and save both our people.” They stood in the arks meeting room in front of the council, the guard and some of the hundred. She was joined by Indra and Anya who stood behind her. To say tensions were raised would be an understatement, everyone in the room were trying to exert a look of power, to prove dominance. But the way the commander held herself and the confidence in her eyes told everyone they were under her. 

It was three days after speaking to Raven and Monty about the use of radios and they were planning on taking the day trip to the mountain the day after this. She had finally convinced Lexa to travel from Tondc to the ark to speak to her people about the mountain. It had been a week since the ark landed and now that most people had set up their camp, they were angry and wanted justice for their missing people. Clarke had spent most of the past few days with Lexa and her war council talking strategy, that was almost identical to the one she had been to last time. The grounders were surprised at her level of understanding, believing her to be some naive girl who had just fallen to the earth, but they were wrong. She was proving them wrong. 

“They have held my people for generations, and they control some of the most dangerous creatures, reapers.” She paused and looked around at the sky people who began to get louder, but with a raise of her hand they all quietened. “Reapers are men turned monster that the mountain control, a defense for them.” She explained. 

“So, commander how do we take down the mountain?” Kane asked with the same big eager eyes he always had when it comes to peace. 

“We find a way in, kill their leaders and anyone who disobeys my order and we get our people out.” Her voice full of hot anger. “Clarke and I have been talking and if you take them time to listen, she offers a lot of insight about possible vantage points.” Lexa pointed to the spot next to her and Clarke took the invite to stand by her side. 

“There are tunnels under the mountain which can lead to the entrances if we find a way to control the reapers. But the main way in is through this front door that is powered from the inside, Raven thinks that if we blow the dam then we can cut power and open it in a small window. But our major problem right now is communication, we have no way to talk to each other and with our people being split between three locations we need both long- and short-range communication. I am leading a trip to an antenna tomorrow to try and fix this issue and then we can talk exact strategy.” Clarke spoke and her people nodded, not wanting to go against her. After a few questions Lexa and Clarke left the meeting room together Clarke led them outside where they stood under the sun. 

“Working with you has been a pleasure Clarke, maybe this alliance will hold after the war.” Lexa complimented her, which made her swoon and the butterflies in her stomach dance, but she composed herself and held back the blush she felt. 

“Not just some girl who needs your pity?” Clarke said throwing her words back in her face and she walked back inside to talk with her mom. As much as she loved Lexa there were times, she hated the commander and the walls she put around herself. 

“Nice going.” Aster laughed hitting his friends back who laughed with him, neither expected her to do that, especially Clarke but it felt good to stand her ground. 

“What was her face like?” Clarke laughed. 

“She blinked taking in what you said.” This earned a bigger laugh from both of them as they again entered the meeting room, which held most of her friends apart from those at the drop ship, her mom and Kane. 

“How you are doing?” Clarke asked Wells who was sitting on a chair staring blankly at the wall. He was still crushed at his father’s death, she wished she could say that he would be fine, or he isn’t dead, but she didn’t know if it were true or would just hurt him worse. 

“I miss him.” He admitted with a hurt look in his eyes. Clarke guided him up and wrapped him in a hug. They stood there for a minute until Bellamy started talking about the mission for tomorrow. 

“You want to come, might help getting out?” Clarke offered him a spot and to her surprise he agreed, and they sat down together to talk about the plans. 

“So whose going?” Clarke asked realizing she wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. 

“Bellamy, Wells, Raven, Monty, Harper me and you.” Her mom answered and the blond nodded along to the names, happy with who would be going. “We’ll go at dawn.” Abby told the group of teens who all agreed with her. 

…

“How are you so bubbly in the morning?” Clarke asked Raven who was already ready to go when they got to the drop ship the next morning to pick up the three of them before going to the antenna. Raven was her usual personality that would have gave Clarke a headache if trapped with her in a small room, but she acted like a cup of coffee out in the woods and woke everyone up. 

“Just me being amazing I guess.” She chirped back to the group. The hike wasn’t long probably only three hours if they kept pace but around five if they took it easy. But due to the rising tension and anticipation everyone was on mission mode they wanted things done as soon as possible. 

“Thanks for getting the computer working, I’m sorry I was such a bitch about it.” Clarke apologized to Raven once the group had separate a little, walking at different paces. 

“It’s cool I get it. You’re under a lot of pressure. You know you don’t have to take it all on yourself.” 

“I know I don’t but with what I know how I, am I meant to stand back and watch the same mistakes get made.” 

“Clarke your plan worked last time without the things you know now.” Clarke went to interject and remind her what happened last time, but Raven stopped her. “And don’t give me that I eradicated level five, that only happen because Lexa betrayed you, that’s what we need to change and if not then we have a better back up plan.” Her words made sense to the blond. Clarke blamed herself for the mountain but what else was she meant to do, let them kill her mother? 

“It can’t happen again, I don’t think I can live with that Rae.” Clarke tried to choke back the tears but the pain was evident in her voice and the older girl picked up on it and rubbed her arm trying to show her support. 

“When we get back to camp, we find a way to save them okay?” Raven said and Clarke nodded liking the idea of having a back up plan incase the same thing happens again. 

…

“We’re going to look around, see what we find.” Octavia announced to the group a couple minutes after getting there. 

“I’m coming.” Bellamy stood by her and Abby nodded at the group of three telling them to meet back here in a few hours, they nodded before leaving the rest of the group. 

“Lets get started.” Raven said pulling out the laptop from the bag she was carrying, and Aster brought over the radio he’d insisted on carrying the whole way over. Raven thanked him and instantly her and Monty began talking tech about who to set it up and patch into the mountains system. 

Wells, Clarke, Aster and Harper spent the time talking about random things while Raven and Monty worked on the radio behind them. They all found it funny how they were in their own world and talking in what felt like their own language. 

Clarke and Aster’s attention spun around as they heard broken wood coming from the mountain. They both saw the streak of black and the heavy thuds that indication mountain men. Grounders didn’t make a sound and her people wouldn’t have ran like that. They were being watched. Without saying anything Clarke stood up and looked at Aster who quickly did the same.

“Clarke don’t.” Wells said brining Abby’s attention to them, he knew she was about to chase them. 

“I have to, they have our friends.” Abby stood up ready to stop her daughter but she sensed it. “Rae, you know where the plans are, get them to her if I don’t come back.” With that she took off running with Aster by her side, following the direction they’d see the mountain man take. They ran trying to catch up with the man but he was already too ahead of them after they hesitated, but Clarke knew where the mountain was and where he was headed. 

“Aster cut my arm, we need it to look like you took me.” Clarke almost begged as they stopped running to catch their breath. She sensed the eyes on them and she knew things weren’t about to got their way. He looked at her with pleading eyes not wanting to do it, but she just nodded. He took her in his arms and wrapped an arm around her neck and held his knife in the other, when the mountain men made themselves visible she tried to get away from him in an act. Just like she’d asked he took the slice at her arm and then lifted the knife to the other men.

She knew that her people told her not to go to the mountain, especially not being captured not knowing what was happening on the inside. She had escaped before, so she knew she could again. Before she could even try anything else Aster dropped to the ground holding his neck in pain. Clarke followed quickly through as she felt a hot pain in her neck and her legs give up. They had been shot with some dart, now Clarke knew she had no chance but escape the mountain again. 

As she was being carried to the mountain her first thought was she was grateful Aster didn’t look like the average warrior, he was taller than her, but men like Lincoln still towered over him. While he was toned he wasn’t buffed out. She just hoped that they wouldn’t tune him into a reaper. 

…

Clarke Griffin woke up again in that dreadful white room in mount weather. It almost smelt like nothing if it wasn’t for the chemical smell that was lingering in the air. She hadn’t thought that one room would bring back so many bad memories, no wonder Raven didn’t want her coming back here. She shuddered at the thought of having to see the people she once killed roam the halls, waiting for the war that was coming their way. Most of them not knowing what was happening on the surface let alone in their own floors, many of these people didn’t believe in the treatments and yet Clarke still killed them. She knew that there had to be a different way, she just didn’t know how. 

“Clarke?” She snapped from her own thoughts and saw that her door was now opened and standing in the doorframe was Maya, how looked white as a ghost. “How?” She asked. 

“You know me?” Clarke asked, was it possible that Maya was back as well. If anyone died wrongfully last time, it was Maya, she deserved a second chance. Clarke just hoped she could give it to her. 

“I swear I’m not crazy.” She said trying to make sense of not being the only one reliving the past. 

“You’re not it’s happening to me too.” Clarke said wishing she could walk over and give her a hug but they had to play it safe. 

“We have a lot to do, you’re ready to go. I’ll take you to the others.” She helped Clarke out of bed and gave her a set of clothes. She felt weak and her muscles ached, she put it down to the toxin still in her body from the dart. “They haven’t started yet, but they’re just working out that your blood is better than the others.” She explained as she led her to the room that held her friends. 

“Maya I’m sorry about how things ended last time, I’m trying to change them.” Clarke told her in the mist sincere voice she ever had, she was glad that she had the chance to talk to her and apologize for her actions. Clarke and the others would never have gotten out of the mountain without the help of Maya and in return she was killed. 

“It’s okay Clarke, I forgive you.” With that a weight was lifted off Clarkes shoulders, she knew that a sorry would never make up for it. But this time she would with her actions and save those not involved. 

“Clarke.” Jasper ran up to the pair as they entered the living quarters. He wrapped her in a hug and gave her his usual goofy smile. Miller stood by his side and greeted the blond too. 

“Have you been here the whole time?” Miller asked after he realized her. She led the small group over to a quiet space in the room, Maya turned up the radio as Clarke gave them a cautious look. 

“I have seen some stuff down here, they are not good people.” She told them.

“They’re not that bad Clarke, they gave us food, water, clothes, a shower. We’re safe here.” Jasper said with the same optimism he did last time. 

“They use the grounders blood as medicine, and once they see we can do the same we’re in trouble.” She told them bluntly. “We are not safe here.” Clarke wanted to yell and scream and drag her people our but she knew she couldn’t. 

“How do we get out?” Miller asked knowing that Clarke wasn’t playing around with this, he heard the urgency in her voice. 

“I have a plan to escape, but I have to go alone. Once I’m out I tell our people what’s happening and then we get you all out.” She told them the plan and they nodded along, there wasn’t much more of an option to just sit and wait. 

“Maya, I thought I told you to bring Miss Griffin straight to me.” Dante Wallace stood at the doors to the quarters with the same sickling smile. The last thing Clarke wanted to do was follow him around listening to how great the mountain was, but she knew she had to play her part in getting out alive. She stood up and made her way to him, shaking his hand and letting him introduce himself. 

“So Clarke I hear that your people and the outsiders made a deal together.” He said as they came to the end of the tour. 

“Their people attacked and killed four of us, they were just making things right.” She said to him, which wasn’t a lie that’s what started the need for an alliance. She knew that if she gave too much information about their alliance it could put everyone in danger and the mountain could sense a war coming. 

“And the one you were with today?” He asked watching her carefully. 

“He followed us.” He nodded to her words and she couldn’t tell if he believed her or not, but she took it as a good sign when he left her to go back to her friends.


	15. fifteen

“What do you mean they got taken by the mountain?” Lexa roared at the messenger that stood at the doors of the Tondc meeting room. Lexa and Anya instantly looked panicked at the thought of the blond being the mountains prisoner. “Where is the group she was with?” Lexa asked the boy who was shaking at her outburst. 

“Arkadia, heda. Abi kom skaikru wants to rush the mountain now.” He informed her not raising his stare from his shoes. He was quickly dismissed.

“Lexa, relax.” Anya told the commander and placed a hand on her shoulder when she noticed her white knuckles from the grip she had on the side of the table.

“Why would she do something so foolish, her and her people are the key to this war Anya and now they have her. What if she turns on me?” Lexa asked as her mind raced of the possibilities that would happen to the sky girl. From torture to betraying her people, she was scared that they would never fight this war and her people would never be safe.

“Clarke would not betray you, her people are in there too.” Anya tried to calm her down but was failing.

“What’s stopping her from making a deal with them, her people for mine?”

“Heda Clarke wants peace she told you that includes everyone. Why do you have so little faith in the sky girl?” Anya questioned, Lexa had never been an optimist, but she was never this close minded and shut off at the idea of someone pulling through.

“Because it’s what I would do. Choose the safety of my people over her.” She admitted, as much as she hated to. She was heda she had to do what was best for her people.

“Well then hope she won’t be as foolish you, heda.” Anya said, they both knew it was no joke. If it had been anyone else than Anya who spoke to heda like that they would be tied to a tree, but Anya could get away with it. She used it to her advantage to make the commander pull her head in.

“I’m going to Arkadia, are you coming?” Lexa asked ignoring the comment the other woman said to her. They both left the meeting room and made their way to the stables.

…

“Heda, we need to attack the mountain now.” Abby spoke to the commander, Anya, Indra and a few others on the war council. They were again sat in the meeting room with members of the ark and the remained of the hundred that hadn’t been taken from the mountain.

“We can’t march on the mountain. We are not ready.” Lexa said back to the older women, she was trying to be polite, but Abby was out of her mind with fear.

“They have my daughter.” Abby fired back.

“They have mine too, but heda is right we are not ready.” One of the council members shot back her, failing to hold the same composure Lexa did, he anger clear.

“We out number them, we have guns.” Pike argued to him, no one from the ark understanding why they couldn’t just go in and destroy what they wanted.

“Guns will not save you on this one.” Indra stood up, but quickly sat when Lexa shot her a look.

“You are being led by a child, what would she know about what to do in a war.” Pike said with poison, staring down Lexa who gave him a sly smile. Which only irritated him more.

“I know more about war than you could ever know. I also know that we are not ready to fight the mountain.” Lexa was growing mad. The one person who could have controlled the adults from the ark was in the mountain and her capture seemed to send everyone into a bigger panic than there was already.

“We are ready to fight, our children could be dying. But you don’t care for them, they are not your people.” Pike stood up from his stop and yelled directly at Lexa. All the guards and council members were ready to slit his throat, they would have if Lexa hadn’t stood up as fast. She slammed down her fist on the table and let the anger out.

“You think I don’t know your people have been taken? That I don’t know the pain? My father was killed by the mountain, I know what you are feeling, and I know the utter rage that you all face at the loss of your own. We have felt it for years. We don’t know why they take us or why they have taken your children. I was there when Clarke discovered the empty camp and we decided there to fight for peace.” She looked at the group of adults and saw the anger slowly dissipating from their eyes.

“I will get Clarke and the other children you sent to the ground to die out of the mountain. Because we know that they are worth it, they have fought for peace since the minute they landed, Clarke brought a man she did not know back to life. Raven is making bombs to blow up the dam that supplies power. Monty and Raven got into the communication system so we can hear them. Octavia, Bellamy, Murphy and Wells are learning to fight like us, so they won’t rely on a gun when they fight comes down to it. We are working on getting your people out while you sit around and complain about missing children but do nothing to get them back.” Lexa couldn’t help but smile softly at the look of fear and regret in Pikes eyes at being yelled at. The kids from the ark were also smiling at her. Abby went to say something, but Lexa began talking again before she could start.

“The mountain men have weapons like you, guns and machines. But they also use chemicals, the acid fog. Which I hope you never come in contact with but burns your skin and can kill you. There is no way past it unless it is turned off, we don’t know how to do that yet. The mountain is underground and guarded by a thick metal wall that is only opened from the inside, or loss of power. Which is why we need the bombs from Raven. The reapers will kill anyone that enters the tunnels. So you see Pike, if you want to march on the mountain now, be my guest, but I hope you know you will not survive it. But what would I know, I’m just a girl.” She snarled at him. She didn’t give anyone the chance to say anything before she left. She said all she needed, she would go back to Tondc to make anymore plans for the mountain. She heard footsteps and turned around to see all her people and the kids from the dropship following her out. Which caused her to celebrate on the inside.


	16. sixteen

Clarke had been in the mountain for almost three days, it was the night of the second and the small group including Maya were talking strategy for Clarke to get out safely.

“The grounder I came in with, what happened to him?” Clarke asked her, she needed to know that her friend was okay and her irrational actions hadn’t gotten him killed or turned into a monster.

“He’s with the others, he okay last I checked.” Clarke thanked her breathing an easy sigh of relief at the news.

“Tomorrows the day, things are only going to get worse and as bad as it sounds, I can’t be here when it happens." Clarke said feeling guilty at her words, but they knew that once they started the experiments, she wouldn’t be able to escape. “Will they set off an alarm when I leave?” She asked Maya.

“Yes.”

“Then once that goes you guys break through the wall we talked about and set up the radio.” Clarke told the boys who agreed with her. They had spoken about putting the radio there with a constant signal for their people to hear. Just as they had last time. “Can you get into the communication room and turn off the jamming?” Clarke asked, Monty had done it last time and he’d be trying when she was taken but she didn’t know if it could be done outside the mountain.

“I think so, it should be on the server somewhere. Once the radio has been set and you’re out safe I’ll decontaminate the room, which will give me time to set it all up.” She nodded as Clarke listened to the plan.

“Once I’m out I’ll send Bellamy in and he’ll take them down inside out.” She knew that the only way to take down the mountain was an inside man and that had to be Bellamy, he’d done it once before and it worked. She had to trust other people and not let things all weigh on her.

…

“I found a secure area, like a presidential bunker.” Maya came to Clarke later that night when it seemed that she was drawing, but she was sketching a layout of the mountain for her friends. “The day things go crazy I’ll take the kids and whoever else I can to there and even if you have to eradicate five they’ll be safe.” Clarke felt a smile creep to her face as Maya spoke.

“That is so good to hear, hopefully we can keep them out of the craziness this time.” This was exactly what Clarke needed to hear before they planned an attack on the mountain, she wanted to prevent the death of the innocent as much as she could and this took them from the picture all together. “What’s going to happen if we take them down and save the rest of you?” Clarke asked, they had no real leadership other than Wallace.

It was something that Clarke found herself thinking about during her time alone in the woods after mount weather. What would they have done with no leadership? No protection once the reapers were tuned and the acid fog disabled. No medicine once their people were set free. Would the mountain have succumbed on their own after Clarke and did she just speed up the process? But no one could answer that seeing she never gave them the chance.

“I’m not sure honestly, if majority of people survive the attack I think we can rebuild better than ever but if not I can’t say we’ll do very well on our own.” Maya answered honestly to the blond, who apricated that the other girl wasn’t scare to have the tough questions coming her way.

“We’ll work it out once we can okay.” Maya nodded at her and they paused for a minute both taking in the quiet before the mountain would be changed forever, again.

“What happened here after?” She asked looking at Clarke with timid yes.

“We got our people out and home. I couldn’t stay with them, they reminded me of the mountain and what I did to save them, all the innocent people I killed. I lived in the woods alone for a few months, then I was captured and taken to the commander and a few weeks later I was killed.” Clarke hated this story the actions that led to Wanheda and the destruction of an entire population just to preserve her own.

“I know you blame yourself, but thing’s only would have gotten worse when we got to the ground. Cage wouldn’t have stopped until the ground was his and his alone. Even though you can’t see it, you did the right thing.” Maya took her hand and tried to gain her attention, but her eyes were glued to the floor. “I know you haven’t forgiven yourself for it, but you did the right thing at the time. This time we do better okay?” The other teen nodded her head not wanting to raise her eyes which were swimming in tears. She didn’t want to look weak in front of the other girl. Maya sensed the mood between them and went to leave Clarke to get the nights rest she needed.

“Wait Maya, tomorrow how do I get into the chambers without too much attention.” Clarke asked in a hushed whisper before Maya walked too far from her. “I got through med bay last time.” She explained.

“The art storage room has a vent that leads to the one in the med bay, come with us tomorrow and I’ll show you.” Clarke nodded and let her go.

Saying Clarke had a peaceful sleep would be an overreaching statement. Her mind raced for majority of the night about how to exit the mountain and which path they followed to get out. But that felt like three lifetimes’ ago and Clarke couldn’t stop thinking about everything bound to go wrong. What if shew as caught and drained herself if she failed? What if Aster had already been killed?

Once she finally let sleep take over her racing mind it didn’t last long until nightmare consumed her and she was dreaming of when Anya was killed by her people, she couldn’t let the same thing happen with Aster. So she gave up on sleep again and thought about all the possibilities of escaping the mountains hopefully safely. She had more information that she could give Lexa and her people. Maya had given her more information than she had last time and how to take down the mountains power source and not be caught like Raven had been last time. Things seemed to be coming together quicker than Clarke would have imagined and she put it down to most of their key players being those of the past life, but the one maybe that set off all their plans was the mountains deal. Clarkes people for Lexa’s. That would again be the downfall of the war and alliance.

…

“May we meet again.” Clarke says to her friends as she climbs into the small air vent hidden before a few stacked art pieces.

“We will.” Jasper and Miller answered at the same time as the lid was put back on the hole leaving Clarke in almost pitch black. She began the crawl to the medical bay which would lead her to the cambers holding hundreds of grounders prisoners waiting for their death. She followed the map mentally that Maya had given her. Thankfully there wasn’t too many twists and turns and withing a few minutes Clarke was where she needed to be.

She kicked in the same vent and swung her feet through the opening into the caged room. Just as there had been last time two grounders hung upside as their blood was drained and used for their blood. Trying to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach she turned to the cages and started to look for her friend.

“Aster?” She called as a whisper to him. She wanted to promise all the wounded grounders locked in the cage that they would be okay soon and they were going to get them out but instead she could only muster a sad smile and repeatedly called out her friends name. she became frantic as she looking at cage upon cage and couldn’t find him. That was until she came to the end of the row and looked to one of the bottom cages. He was there, small and weaken but her was there.

“Clarke?” He looked up at her with his big brown eyes and Clarke nodded using the key Maya gave her to quickly get him out. Wasting no time, she pulled him to the body shoot and held him up as he struggled to do so himself.

Clarke landed on top of him as they landed, and she was thankful that this time the trolley wasn’t empty and didn’t hold his people that he had to witness being taken to their death. Clarke helped him up and found a pile of clothes that were left behind. By the time she’d helped him dress he’d come to and was acting more alert and could old himself up.

“How did you get us out? No one ever escapes the mountain.” He asked in a weaker voice that shew as used to.

“I think you’re forgetting that I’m not just anyone and I’ve done this before.” She smiled at him, which was quick lived when they heard the sounds of shuffling footsteps, reapers. Clarke made sure to pocket the key in the jacket pocket enclosed by a button and started running in the opposite direction of the zombie like groans.


	17. seventeen

“It’s been four days Bellamy, how can you not be worried.” Raven asked the boy, she was growing impatient for the return of her friend. It had been four days since Clarke and Aster ran deep into the forest to chase after the mountain men.

“Rae, she’ll be okay. What’s the worst that’ll happen.” Bellamy was staying hopeful, although he wanted Clarke and the rest of his people back there was no use worrying about the unknown.

“I can’t be here, I’m going for a walk.” She tried to stay calm when people talked about the blond getting out of the mountain fine, but they didn’t know what she die. They also didn’t know the pain that the mountain caused. All it took was one of those monsters to remember for Clarke and the others to be as good as dead.

“Raven where are you going?” Abby called out to the teen as she reached the threshold of the camp. She stopped in an annoyed huffed and turned around to meet the other women.

“I’m going to talk to the commander about getting Clarke out of that fucking mountain.” Without letting another word be said she left camp Jaha and made the short trip to Tondc. In her hands were the plans that her and Clarke were working on before she got herself taken. She was going to hold off showing them to the commander but with no word from Clarke or the mountain she thought it was time. Monty had failed to get into the radio system so they had no idea what was happening on the inside, it could be too late.

“Raven.” The girl was pulled from her running thoughts with the voice and a hand suddenly on her shoulder. She looked and found Anya at her side, she hadn’t realized she’d walk so far so quickly and had already made it to the city. “I’m guessing still nothing from Clarke?” She asked in a concerned voice.

“No, I can’t believe she ran off and got captured again.” Raven said without thinking but once her mind caught up with her mouth, she froze realizing what she said. She looked over at the older girl and saw the look in her eyes before they returned to normal. There was something about that look that made Raven think that Anya was holding back on what she knew.

“Follow me.” Anya said leading the way further into town. Raven’s heart picked up and didn’t know what to expect once they entered a small house like structure. When Raven’s eyes adjusted to the light she realized it was a house, this must be where are she lives. “Now tell me Raven, what did you mean again?” Anya led them over to a set of chairs by a table that they sat down opposite in.

“This is a cute place.” She looked around avoiding the question.

“Raven.” Anya insisted calling her attention back.

“Fine, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna rip off the band aid. Clarke and I are from the past, or is it the future? I don’t know, but what I do know is we both died and then came back here before we died.” As she rambled a small smile grew on the other girls face and in a way she looked relieved.

“All this time and you guys never let it slip. I did wonder why you came to me instead of just trying to blow me and my people up.” Raven felt her eyes widen and her jaw, she couldn’t do anything about it. “I can’t believe she let herself be taken again, what if she can’t get out or they know too.” Any stated to rant in the ways that Raven had been doing alone for the past few days.

“Right you would think that she had a bigger brain than she really does. I’m so over everyone saying she’ll be fine, but they don’t know what we do.” Anya nodded along agreeing with her.

“Did the mountain fall last time?” Anya asked once they both calmed down a little of Clarke. That’s when it hit Raven that Anya was killed by her people before the war at the mountain and had no idea what her actions led to.

“Yes, thanks to Clarke.”

“Did our people fight together?” She asked with a hopeful look in her eye.

“They did until your commander took a deal with them. Her people for mine. We almost lost and we would have all been killed. But Clarke brought down the mountain and killed everyone inside.” Her face was full of anger and confusion.

“How did one girl take down the mountain?”

“The air we breathe is poison to the mountain men, but by using our blood they can become immune to it as we are. So Clarke let in the poison air and they all died.” Raven hated the story of the mountain and as much pain as they caused, the innocent people in there deserved better.

“I know I cannot promise as much but I do hope that the same fate won’t happen again, and Lexa won’t make a foolish deal.” Both girls smiled at the words and hoped they held up and the mountain would fall in a different way. “What are those?” Anya asked pointing to the papers that Raven had laid face down on the counter.

“Plans that Clarke and I made to take down the mountain as we had last time, she told me to show them to Lexa if she didn’t return to Lexa.” Raven explained and turned them around showing the warrior the drawings of the mountains.

“And you waited this long?” Anya questioned.

“Because there are things we can’t possible know without have been in the mountain. These all rely on Clarke escaping from the mountain.” Raven said pointing to certain aspects, the cells which hold the captured grounders and drawing of reaper sticks to control them once in the tunnels.

“Which is why she got taken?” She again questioned trying to understand why the blond would possibly go back to place.

“That’s the only reason I can think of.”

“We can’t show Lexa these yet, she will ask more questions than you’ll have the answer to. We wait for Clarke, she did it before we just have to hope she can do it twice. Then if she doesn’t come in a few days we show her and hope that we can make up something.” Raven nodded knowing that it was their best chance of not exposing themselves.

“So by that I’m guessing Lexa isn’t alive again?” When she said that Anya looked up from the plans and gave Raven another confused look. “Oh yeah, Lexa died right before Clarke.”

“How?” She questioned simply.

“Shot by Titus. Then he blamed Clarke and she was killed for it.” Raven said almost picturing the day where Clarke was taken from them and tied to the pole and cut over and over until she died in the same way she saved Finn from.

“I always hated that old man.” Anya snarled and Raven laughed at the reaction. “You know you don’t have to spend all your time in that camp, you can stay here as Octavia does.” Anya offered sensing that the girl was already calmer here than she was at camp Jaha.

“I might take you up on that.” Both girls smiled. “Do you know where O is?” She asked.

“Yeah I can take you to her if you want.” They both stood and Raven nodded. “You can leave those here.” She motioned to the papers Raven instinctively picked up and as quickly put down when offered. With that Anya led her back outside and to the training pits where Octavia was sparring against Murphy.

…

“God for someone so smart she sure is dumb.” Octavia laughed at the situation as her and Raven retired to the room they would share. Raven again found herself ranting about Clarke and the fool’s decision she’d made to go towards eminent danger.

“She’ll be okay Rae, I know it’s hard to think but we have to stay positive, okay?” feeling slightly reassured the older girl nodded.

“Moving on to something else, I haven’t seen Lincoln around lately. What’s he up to?” Raven asked remembering how last time they were inseparable, and you wouldn’t have one without the other.

“Honestly.” Octavia paused and Raven took it as an opportunity to move from her own bed to the other girls and they sat close together, neither caring about their own personal space. “There’s something about him, it’s like my body remembers him and he’s so familiar but he’s so distant and I don’t know Rae something seems off. He spends all his time with Nyko, that’s where he is now.” Octavia tried to explain the complicated feelings that she was experiencing but she couldn’t find the right words to justify them.

“Should I talk to him for you?” Raven asked offering her service, not knowing how else to help her friend.

“It’s okay, this is a crazy time for a relationship anyway. An impending war, missing friends, one living in the past.” She said and Raven grabbed onto her hand feeling the sadness coming from her voice. “I don’t even know him, but he knows everything about me.” Without any more words both girls cuddled closer together, both needing the comfort of human touch.

…

Raven woke with a sore back, she fell asleep half sitting up with Octavia cuddled into her body. She stretched her arms and tried not to wake the younger girl but failed and she was soon too awake.

“Morning.” She smiled at Raven who blushed at her raspier than usual voice.

“Good morning.” The mechanic got out of bed and found her day clothes spread on one chairs, she changed into them from her pjs. As much as she didn’t want she was heading back to the dropship, her and Monty were making the bombs that would take down the dam and open the door to her friends.

“Do you have to leave? As much as I love the guys it’s more fun with you.” Octavia looked over to her with the big blue-green eyes. Both of them knew that they were needed in different places, but they also wished that they could work together. Since Raven had fell from the sky the three girls had gotten closer and they were all grateful for it, so with one gone tensions were high.

“I need to go back things explode and as much as I want to stay here, we need those bombs.” Raven said with a twinkle in her eye. Her favorite part about of being on the ground was the ability to make things go boom, and the space she had to do it.

“I’ll walk you out.” Octavia offered and joined Raven at the door. Together they left the guarded room and out into the open town square. There children ran and played with each other as their parents sold food and items at the stalls lining the square.

But the peaceful noise was quickly silenced when a group from the ark rushed into the gates of Tondc. Abby and Kane were standing in front of Monty and two of the arks own guard. Raven and Octavia gave each other a confused look before making their way over to their people. Raven was the first to notice that Monty was holding her radio, had the kids in the mountain finally made contact.

“They got the jam down, we can hear them.” Monty said in his fast voice as the two kids met in the middle. The mechanic looked up to the sky and thanked whoever made it possible to hear her friends again, they hadn’t started the bleeding yet, they still had time.

“What is this?” Lexa asked coming from behind them.

“Listen.” Raven turned up the radio for her to hear.

“This is Japer Jordan, we need help. Eighty-four of us are trapped in mountain weather. We don’t know how much time we have left, please hurry.” His voice ran through the air. The people from the ark scared for the wellbeing of their people, and many of the grounder not understanding what the radio was and who was talking.

"Meeting room, now." Lexa told the teens and the two adults from the ark. Once they all were in the room with Lexa, Anya and Indra it was up to Raven to explain the radio and what they were listening to.

“So he talks into a box and we can hear him?” Lexa questioned not yet grasping the concept.

“Yes, I’ve made one for each clan that way you can talk to them without the riders, you can talk to them through this and they’ll hear and respond straight away.” After a few minutes of the leaders talking between themselves about the good and bad of these being spread around the clans they turned back to the teen tech.

“Very well, we will use them.” Lexa agreed as Raven smiled at her.

“Great they’re at the drop ship. I’m going back today to get some things done, when I come back, I’ll bring them.” With that the meeting was over. Octavia and Indra left together to train. Abby and Kane went back to the ark and Raven, Monty and Harper made their way to the drop ship.


	18. eighteen

“Aster.” Clarke called out to the boy as she came to the surface of the lake they had just dropped into. As she had her previous break from mount weather the only way for them to escape was the dam. The water again hit her body harder than expected and it knocked the air out of her lungs. Aster jumped after her and hit the water just as hard, but she couldn’t see him. Clarke knew that she got knocked out once she reached the water as she was closer to shore than she was when they jumped, but she was worried that she couldn’t find her friend. “Aster.” She called again.

Clarke stood up on shaky feet and looked out for the boy. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him laying on a rocky part of shore with his face out of the water and his chest steadily rising. She ran over to him and instantly saw the red blood rushing from a deep cut at the top of his forehead. Without thinking she ripped some of the shirt she was wearing and placed it against his gash, the pain instantly woke him up, he looked scared and he tried to jump up but the blond held him in place.

“Aster, it’s Clarke. You’re okay, I need you to sit still.” Her voice instantly calmed him, and he nodded at her coming to from the concussion he was most likely sporting. “You cut your head, I need to stop the bleeding.” She explained to him and without moving his head too much he gave her a slight nod.

“We did it, we escaped the mountain.” He smiled at her and a look of excitement ran through his eyes.

“I told you I could do it.” She smiled at him and removed the cloth to see that the gash was still bleeding but had subsided.

“Do you know where we are?” Clarke asked helping him stand up and onto the shore out of the water. They sat by the water both looking around at their surroundings.

“Sha, we went into the mountain on the other side. It’s a two day walk to Tondc, we should get started soon.” Aster told her and tried to stand up but was instantly brought back to the ground by a dizzy spell.

“It’s starting to get dark, we’ll leave at sun rise and with your head it could take us longer.” Clarke said again checking the wound to see it still weeping blood. She had no needle and thread so they had to wait and hope that it would slow on its own.

“How long were we in there for?” He asked his eyes sad as he looked at the blond.

“Today is day five.” Clarke said with a heavy heart. While in the mountain she tried no to think about the outside world, only how to escape and then get her army in to take them down. But now they were out she couldn’t stop thinking about her friends and her mom who she left of that mountain side in a selfish act to get information. It scared Clarke to think that she wasn’t scared of her own death, she came back once, what’s stopping it from happening again.

“They’re going to kill you when we get back.” Aster laughed knowing how Clarke’s friends are.

“Especially Raven, she’s going to be so mad.” Clarke laughed with him. “Thank you for following me into the mountain, I know it was dumb and I know how hard it must have been on you.” Clarke got closer to him and ran her hands over the injection sites where his blood was drained and used as medicine. She looked up from his arms and saw that he was looking at her with such kindness is his eyes. If she wasn’t still heartbroken, she would be all over the attention he was giving her.

“Wait.” She said as she felt him leaning closer to her, she knew he was going in for the kiss. Under the normal circumstances she would have kissed him first, but she couldn’t betray Lexa, even if she had no idea the relationship they once shared.

“I’m sorry, I got caught up again.” He instantly backed away from her and she felt her heart fall at the way he stopped looking at her and drew his attention to the sand.

“As, there’s one thing I haven’t told you.” She drew in a big breath as he looked at her and decided that she wouldn’t be the girl to drag someone along and play with their feelings, she had to be honest with him. “The last time on earth, Lexa and I were more than just leader to our people to each other. We spent a lot of time together for the fight at the mountain and she grew feelings for me, and we kissed. But I had just lost my boyfriend and was worried about my friends trapped in the mountain, so I told her I wasn’t ready. After she captured me again after I was living in the forest both our feelings came back and although we never dated or anything, because we never had the chance, I feel in love with her.” Clarke explained to him as he nodded along.

“And you still love her?” He asked with a slightly disappointed tone.

“Yes, for me she died a month ago even though it hasn’t happened here yet and I hope it never does. I’m still heartbroken over my love being killed and me being killed for it, even if we don’t get back together, I need to get over that first.” He gave the girl a small smile and wrapped her in a hug, which made Clarke feel the safest she had in a while. “But Aster I do really like our friendship and how close we’ve got over the small period. I hope this doesn’t change anything.” She said hopefully.

“Of course, Clarke, not sure if you noticed or not but I spend all my time with you and that’s not because it’s my job. Ever since you came to my home, I knew that you were different. And even though I do like you I like our friendship more. But now that you mention it, I do think you and the commander would make a very cute couple.” He said causing Clarke to push his shoulder slightly at the comment he made.

…

“Good morning.” Aster smiled cheerfully at the blond as she sat up the next morning.

“Someone’s been busy.” Clarke said to him in her husky morning voice. She rubbed the sleep from her eye and joined him by the fire they had started the night before to keep them warm. He had caught two fish from the river they fell into the day before. “What’s this?” She asked reaching her hand to the cut that had thankfully stopped bleeding last night, which was now being covered by a red leaf of sort.

“Seaweed, my people use it as a medicine.” He explained showing her a few more of the plants he’d picked from the water.

“We used this when jasper was attacked.” She told him and explained what happened when they got to mount weather after they landed.

“We should get going, we have a big few days.” Aster said stomping out the fire as they began to eat. “What was Jasper attacked with?” He asked her.

“The first time we landed, we didn’t know about the mountain and was told by our leader to go there and get supplies. No one knew people still lived there, but Jasper crossed, and someone threw a spear into his chest. We still don’t know who, but someone took him and fixed him and he survived. 

“It still haunts you?” He asked her, and she nodded. “You are haunted by things that haven’t even happened here, especially Lexa.” He said, he was confused to how something that hadn’t even happened could still hurt someone so much.

“Do you have someone special in your life, family, friends, ex?” Clarke asked looking up from the fish she was eating.

“My little brother.” He admitted to her.

“Imagine watching him die in front of you.” She watched the sadness flow through his eyes, and he nodded at the request. “Now you get blamed for his death and you’re killed. The next second you wake up and his they’re in front of you and nothings happened yet. You’re back to a year earlier and he is perfectly fine.” She said trying her best to explain it.

“But he’s still dead in your head. Lexa died and now she’s alive.” Clarke nodded to him.

“It doesn’t feel real. And to make it worse, she doesn’t know who I am.” She felt an overwhelming sadness fill her body, but she wouldn’t let it take over her. Clarke stood up and stomped out the fire. “We should get going, we have people who probably think we’re dead.” Clarke smiled at him and the two began their trip back to Tondc. 

…

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Lexa asked Bellamy who had offered to go into the mountain. They needed an inside man to help extract their people and take down the acid fog so they would even get close enough.

“I need to this. My people are stuck in there too. We need their systems down and the only way that’s done is someone on the inside.” He stood heroic and gave his friends and sister a small smile.

“You will be honored as a hero Bellamy kom skaikru, you have the spirts watching over you take care.” Lexa spoke to him and turned to Lincoln who offered to take him to the mountain as a prisoner. “Are you sure you’re okay going into the mountain, you know what they’ll do to you.” Lexa was concerned they all knew that Lincoln would be turned to a reaper, but they didn’t know that he had been through it before and survived. They also didn’t know that he was going through major withdrawal symptoms, even though this Lincoln had never been turned his previous body had. His mind remembered everything, he had tried everything to not give in, but it was all too much, and the opportunity presented itself.

“Take care of him.” Octavia said to Lincoln before kissing his cheek and hugging him tightly. She also did and said the same with her brother before they set off to the mountain before either of them changed their minds. Raven took the younger girl in her arms when she saw the tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

…

“I’m sick of this fucking mountain taking people I care about. I’m blowing it up as soon as the last person is out, I don’t care.” Raven ranted to Anya later that afternoon back in her house as they again looked over the plans Clarke made and worked out strategy for the fight. No one knew that they were doing this daily, but they were making progress and had worked out a few flaws in the plan. As soon as Clarke was back, they were ready to show her what they had arranged.

“How exactly going to do that?” Anya asked her.

“What blow it up? I could tell you about a hundred different ways.” Raven looked at her excited at the prospect of blowing up the mountain.

“You said they couldn’t breathe our air without your people’s blood, how are they going to get out?” She asked. She was right, Raven hadn’t stopped to think that the only reason the mountain was left empty last time was because they killed everyone last time. That wasn’t going to happen again.

“You’re right, maybe they can still get the procedure done through a volunteer group.” Raven suggested, this was all happening because they wanted their blood, but not everyone was guilty. It was possible she could convince enough people to offer small amounts of bone marrow to save the surviving members of the mountain. They would do right by everyone this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you all enjoyed, if you want to chat or leave a suggestion you can do so in the comments or add my tumblr lifemeetslove xx


	19. nineteen

“Clarke my head is killing me, I can barely walk.” Aster stopped the blond, not being able to stay upright any longer. They had been walked all day yesterday and spent the night asleep on the forest floor. It was almost midday the next day and they were still at least a days walk from the Tondc.

“Sit down.” Clarke helped the boy sit down on a fallen log. He had been complaining of a pounding head since they began their walk but told her he would push through it. Clarke was convinced he had a concussion, but there was nothing she could do for him until they were back at home.

“You should go, they need you at camp. I’m only slowing you down.” Aster said trying to play the hero. He knew that she was the most important person to taking down the mountain, and he couldn’t be the reason she didn’t make it back to camp.

“I’m not leaving you here As. I need you as much as they need me.” He smiled at her slightly as she spoke and cleared off some of the blood weeping from his forehead. “Are there any clans or villages around here? Anyone who can help?" Clarke asked, Tondc and Arkadia was too far away right now.

“I think there’s a small village part of the rider clan through that way they may be able to help, but they won’t trust you.” Aster said pointing in another direction from where their home was. “I can make it there.” He said standing up and fighting through the pain. They both knew that he shouldn’t be walking around but he was the only thing that would help Clarke to the village.

…

Three hours later Clarke could hear and smell a town. They were on the outline of the village as Aster began to worsen. He was sweating the whole trip but began shaking and could barely walk before he collapsed onto the floor, his wound was infected. She couldn’t wake him up, she tried for what felt like hours. Clarke bragged him to the side of the path as best as she could so he wasn’t so exposed before taking off into the view of the camp.

“Chon yu bilaik? Hakom yuk amp raun hir?” Who are you? Why are you here? A man rushed at her with a sword raised to her as she entered the camp. Her heart rate instantly skyrocketed but she had to calm herself down for Aster.

“Ai laik Clarke kom skaikruen ai gaf sisen in.” I am Clarke and I need help. They looked to be surprised when she spoke prefect trig but didn’t mention it with her calls of help. “My friend and I escaped the mountain, he is really hurt.” She said even though she knew that the people would be warried to believe someone from the sky escaped the mountain.

“No one has ever escaped the mountain before.” The man holding the sword fired back at her.

“Please I will explain it, but my friend needs a healer, please.” A middle-aged woman came through the crowd holding a bag like she’d seen Nyko with. They nodded at each other and Clarke took off running back to where she left Aster. The women dropped to his side and cleaned up the wound which was red and weeping.

“He’ll be okay, just needs a little rest and medicine. Are you okay dear?” The woman asked her as they stood up. A few men who followed them out picked up the unconscious boy and walked him back to the healer’s tent. 

“So, Clarke kom skaikru what happened?” The leader asked her, sitting by her as she sat by Aster.

“We were taken from the mountain almost a week ago while trying to disable their communication. We are working with heda to help take down the mountain with the tech we brought from the sky. I know you don’t trust me, and I get it. But we are trying to help take down the mountain, a couple weeks ago my people were taken too, and they are trying to take their blood.” Clarke explained, there was no point lying to them about the happening of the mountains.

“What can we do for you?” He asked, his attitude totally changing. Clarke would later find out that he felt her pain as his wife and mother were taken by the mountain.

“I need to get to Tondc, but he can’t make that walk.” Clarke said looking down to Aster who was still asleep.

“I can lend you a horse and a few guards to take you there. I can also offer a safe keeping of your friend and when he is better and awake send him back on a horse.” He smiled at her and called over to a guard to organize it. Clarke wanted to stay and look after her friend, but she knew that she had to get back to her people and fight this war.

“Thank you, this won’t be forgotten.” Clarke stands up and offers him her arm to shake as she sets off to leave.

“I’m Delfi kom Ingranonakru, all I ask is you bring both our people home safe.” Delfi brought her into a hug and led her to the stables which was bigger than she expected not knowing she was in the clan who raised and bred the collations horses. Clarke was helped onto her horse and stood tall and the guards led the way back to Tondc. She was thankful for the riding she’d done in her previous life, or she would have found the constant gallop hard to control.

…

“How much longer do we have left?” Clarke asked as they set up camp for the night, they had been riding for almost four hours. The sun was beginning to set, and the horses grew fatigue. As much as the blond wanted to be home with her friends, she knew they couldn’t exhaust the animals.

“Before midday tomorrow.” The guard in his early thirties answered her as they set up camp, as the other set up a fire.

“Thank you for taking me.” She smiled at them and sat on one of the logs.

“Anyone who is able to escape the mountain and want to go back to get everyone else deserves all the help she needs to get it done. Can I ask you to tell heda something when you get to Tondc.” The younger man asked as the older one went into the forest to get some food for the night.

“Of course.”

“Tell heda she has the full army behind her to take down the mountain. We have all lost too many and this ends now. So, in any way she needs we will fight for her.” Clarke felt her heart slightly swell at the loyalty behind the words, this was all Lexa wanted. To take down the mountain and unite the clans. Clarke just hoped that it wouldn’t be at the expensive of her people this time.

“I’ll tell her you stand with her.” Clarke promised and he thanked her before turning his attention back to the fire. Leaving Clarke with her thoughts.

…

Clarke was woken at the crack of dawn and as much as her mind and body wanted to curl back up and sleep, she had to get back to Tondc so they could fight and take down the mountain. She woke up that morning and everything hit her like a ton of bricks, and it took all her fight to even mount the horse she was riding.

She woke up in pain and even with the sleep she had the night before she was exhausted. She blamed it on the almost two full days of walking in hard terrain in the wrong clothing, minimal food and water and the stress of their people being stuck in a mountain draining their blood. What she needed was a good serve of hot food, cold water, a warm bed to sleep in for a whole night without waking up dripping from sweat and shaking from another nightmare. But she knew that she wouldn’t get a full sleep until the mountain had fallen and they’d saved everyone, and there was the possibility she would still wake up screaming after changing everything. What Clarke hadn’t even thought she needed was for the weight of the world and her people to not be on her, so she could be a normal teen and live in a village, making a life for herself. But Clarke Griffin would never live out that life, she was meant for more, even if it destroyed her on the inside.

“Clarke, are you okay?” One of the riders asked her, he caught her attention and she looked up and was shocked when she was three of him staring back at her. She had trouble remembering his name and couldn’t get her mind to focus enough to think of it. Her mind finally processed the question he’d asked her for the fourth time and she nodded at him, which was a bad move causes she instantly felt dizzy from the sudden moving. “We’re almost there, Jaye ran ahead but I don’t think you can keep up right. So just hold on and you’ll be home soon, okay?” Again, Clarke nodded, even though at this point she had no idea what he was saying. Her body felt heavy against the weight of gravity and she eyelids were struggling the most, all she wanted was sleep.

…

“Heda, there’s rumors that Clarke kom skaikru has escaped from the mountain.” A messenger told her as she was in a war council meeting with Anya. They instantly looked at each other and the commander saw the blond smile at the new information. Lexa canceled the meeting and told them they would meet the next time with Clarke. Lexa and Anya raced out to the main square where they saw Raven, Octavia, Wells and Abby waiting in the square all awaiting the arrival of their missing girl.

“Is it true she’s back?” Lexa asked Abby as she walked over to the small group of arkers.

“A man arrived on horse as we were just getting here, he yelled at a few guards and us saying she was coming and wasn’t doing so well. He said she would be here soon.” Abby spoke to the commander, the panic and anxiety clear in her voice.

“Heda, Ingranonakru is between here and the mountain, they may be the riders.” Anya said to which Lexa nodded, it makes sense if Clarke found them, she would be on horseback. But how would have Clarke found them, she didn’t even know where the other clans were located and how did she get them to trust her. In the month she had known of the blond she was currently surprised, Clarke was the first person to escape the mountain and make it back to tell the story, or at least Lexa hoped she would be, she was the key to this war.

“She’s coming.” Lexa heard one of the girls say. She also heard the sound of three horses, Lexa wanted to not be on guard, but she had no idea what to expect with letting Clarke back in the camp. As much as she hated the thought of it, she couldn’t let the thought of the conversation with Anya out of her head. What if Clarke had sold her out and this wasn’t a rescue.

“Clarke, baby.” Abby let out a mix of emotions as she spoke, her daughter had come home, but she didn’t look good. Both Anya and Lexa say how poorly the girl looked, they knew something was wrong with her.

That thought was only further proven when Clarke didn’t react when marching into the town center, or when she stopped by her friends and mom. There were several people cheering for her return, people she didn’t even know, everyone in Tondc knew about her capture and they were amazed that the blond had made it out alive. Raven was the first by her side and helped her off the horse, Clarke barely moved herself it was more of Raven pulling her down and letting gravity do the rest. But as soon as the blond was on the floor her legs gave out and the two girls were almost flat on the floor, and they would have been if Raven hadn’t caught her when she fell to her knees. Abby quickly ran over to the pair and tried to get her daughter to respond.

“Raven?” Clarke asked her in something barely above a whisper. She was so overwhelmed and had no idea where she was, but all she knew that Raven was here, and she was safe. Clarke let the emotions take over and fell into a heap in Ravens arm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you all enjoyed, if you want to chat or leave a suggestion you can do so in the comments or add my tumblr lifemeetslove xx


	20. twenty

“Her and a boy walked for two days before getting here and we rode for almost another.” The rider informed Abby when she asked about her daughter. Clarke was in Ravens arm crying into her shoulder as held her as tight as she could. No one knew what happened or how the blond ended up how she was, but they were going to do everything they could to make her okay again. Clarke was so overwhelmed and tired with the weight of everything on top of her shoulders the only thing she was able to do was cry. 

“Boy?” Lexa asked having overheard his comment. She didn’t want to overstep on Abby who was caring for her daughter. But if there was a boy with Clarke why was she alone and crying.

“Sha Heda, she said his name was Aster, he escaped with her. He is at our home and has a head wound that out healer is treating.” Lexa nodded and thanked him for taking care of both her guard and Clarke who was still crying in her friend’s arm. “We will bring him back in a few days, but he was not ready for travel, and it seems neither was she. I’m sorry if we did anything to cause this but she made it clear how urgent it was for her to be home.” The rider looked severely sorry and scared to disappoint their commander.

“She’ll be okay, I think she is just exhausted, and her body is shutting down. She has been through a lot in the last week, she just needs to rest and then she’ll be okay.” Abby confirmed looking over to her daughter who was calming down with Raven and Octavia sitting by her and softly talking with her.

“Thank you for bringing her back, you can stay here as long as you need, or return home.” Lexa told them and they both agreed they would be returning home. Lexa thanked them again and gave them a radio Raven had prepared for them so they could get messages. Before they left, they offered their clans services as they asked Clarke to the night before.

“Will you be taking her to Arkadia?” Lexa asked, knowing they had better offerings for Clarke and Abby would be returning there tonight. But something in Lexa wanted the blond to stay and wake up here, even if that meant using one of their own healers.

“I think it would be better keeping her here. There’s a reason she asked them to bring her here not home.” Abby admitted and Lexa nodded her head.

“She just passed out.” Raven called out sounding concerned. Abby left the commander and was by her daughters’ side with two fingers on her neck.

“She’s okay, just dehydrated and incredibly tired. Is there a healer’s tent I can take her too?” Abby asked and Lexa nodded taking the small gathering of people to the tent to accommodate for Clarke.

…

“I thought I dreamt making it back here.” Ravens attention snapped from her gaze of the floor to her best friend who was smiling at her. Her voice was raspy and dry, she gave her a canteen of water and smiled when Clarke did at the cool liquid hitting the back of her throat.

“I thought I dreamt your dumb ass running back into that mountain of hell.” Raven teased, she was made that Clarke did that, but she was home now and that was the important part.

“I’m sorry.” Clarke tried to apologize but Raven just sat by her side on the bed and pulled her into a long hug and kissed her forehead when she let go of the blond. “How long was I asleep?” Clarke asked noticing the low light breaking through the crack in the tent and the sounds of the morning birds waking up the camp.

“About seventeen hours, you got here about midday and it’s early morning now.” Clarke nodded drinking more water. She didn’t feel amazing, she was still tired and achy but much better than she was yesterday when she couldn’t open her eyes or hold her own weight. “Are you okay? I know what the mountain can do.” Raven gave her a sweet smile and knew that if the blond would open up to anyone it would be her.

“I’m okay, Rae. It was a lot and I’ll tell you about it later when we’re back in our room.” She looked over to the other occupied bed, not wanting to scare the others or give away certain secrets. Raven nodded understanding her wishes.

“Well you look a lot better.” Her mom came in smiling. She held a plate of food and a few cups of water. She had never been happier to see a plate of food. She had eaten barely anything over the last few days, and it was clear when she started eating. Wasting no time to refill her belly. “The commander has asked if you’re up to talking about what happened?” Abby asked as they finished eating.

“Yeah that’s fine, I’m feeling much better. All three women knew that even if she wasn’t she wasn’t the type to sit and rest, so it was no surprise that as soon as she finished eating her and Raven went back to their room to get changed for the day.

…

“Clarke, I want to start by saying that what you have done is incredibly brave, did you not only escaped the mountain you saved one of our own on the way. We got a radio call from the clan you went to this morning saying that Aster is okay, and he will be coming home in a few days.” Lexa told Clarke and actually smiled at her. Clarke was sure that as soon as she got back, she would have been lectured about how dumb it was to run towards danger, but everyone treated her the opposite. It was either they didn’t know how dumb she had been, or it didn’t matter. “You have inspired a lot of people that it is possible to face the mountain and survive.” Lexa complimented.

“Thank you heda, I knew that I couldn’t stay there. I had to find a way out and make it back here.” _To you_ , Clarke almost found herself saying but she stopped herself, not the place or time.

“Are you comfortable telling us what happened?” Lexa asked as she looked to the blond. Clarke looked around the room and saw the war council from other meetings, Anya, Indra and her people. The blond nodding and took a deep breath before starting.

“The first thing I remember was waking up in a white room, it looked like a hospital room. There was a girl who led me to my people. They were all dressed in colourful old clothes, from before praimfaya. My people looked happy, but they didn’t know any different. I found out horrible things about the leaders living in mount weather and it was even worse than what we thought before. They are drugging my people, in their food to make them slower and less able to fight back, they don’t even know it’s happening. But your people heda.” Clarke paused, she had been through this before and she still didn’t know how to explain what was happening.

“Your people are being held in cages, their blood is used as medicine.” Everyone looked angry, sad and disgusted at her words, but most of all they looked confused. “The people living in mount weather can’t breath the air we do because of the radiation of praimfaya, they have never been exposed to it so as soon as it touches their skin they die. But you live on the ground and we lived in the sky it doesn’t effect us. They found out that if they use your blood it heals them. They also discovered that our blood is even stronger and the doctors in their have worked out that the components in our blood can change theirs and can’t help them live on the ground.” Clarke took in a deep breath and started again.

“My friends are about to have all their blood taken and put into those living in the mountain. Once they’ve done that, they will bring the war to the ground. We knew they controlled the reapers, but they also make them. Before I escaped, I took some things that help them control them. Raven said she can make more of them, with that we have access to the tunnels.” Clarke finished her rant and sat down, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled at Raven.

“If the people living in their can’t breathe our air, why don’t we let it in and kill them.” Pike asked, Clarke felt the similar rage boil as it always does with him around. She noticed Lexa’s face and assumed that she felt the same, something must have happened when she was gone, she’d have to ask about it.

“There are good people living in there. It’s their leaders that are doing this. They don’t deserve to be killed because of the action of others. The only reason I’m out here right now is one of the girls living in that mountain, she’s also the reason that the jam from the radios are out. She is also working on taking down the acid fog. So, before you continue your rant about punishing everyone on the actions of the ones in charge think about the thing the chancellor did on the ark, how many people he floated and think if you want to be punished for that.” Pike again wore the same angry glare on his face, how was he being shown up by two teen girls. Raven had to bite her tongue at Clarke’s rant to stop herself from laughing.

“We also sent Bellamy into the mountain, I know you didn’t like the plan at the start but with you gone we needed to start something?” Octavia told Clarke, who nodded. She had accepted that if this was going to work, they needed an inside man.

“How far are we from marching on the mountain?” Clarke asked the group who had been working tirelessly on a plan since she was taken.

“Raven has the bombs done and ready, we have a steady plan ready and waiting. We just need this made.” Lexa said pointing to the reaper sticks that Clarke had brought back from the mountain. “And we are waiting on word from Bellamy, he should be in contact soon he left a few days ago.” Lexa explained.

“Maya, the girl who helped me escape told me of a bunker on the lower levels, when things start going crazy she will get everyone who doesn’t stand with the leaders there and we can save the innocent lives.” Clarke said pointing the last part of Pike who hadn’t tried to get a word in since Clarke shot him down.

“We take down their leaders and those that follow them, get our people out and that’s all.” Lexa said looking between all people but her eye caught Clarke’s and Ravens who looked at her like they weren’t tell her something.

“Heda, what are we going to do about those left in the mountain?” Raven asked, which Clarke was proud of. She was finding her voice, Raven was a powerful leader, Clarke knew it and she was glad Raven was proving it to herself.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“With their leaders and their supporters gone how are they to live in a mountain that needs extremely high upkeep.” Raven said and looked between the commander and Abby. “I believe that if the people on the ark donate bone barrow the survivors can live on the ground, these people want peace too.” Raven saw Pike open his mouth and she stopped him immediately, sending him daggers with her eyes. “Pike do not even start me. These are innocent lives, not the ones draining our blood, they deserve the death they will get, or as Clarke said should we be held against the acts of the chancellors.” Clarke gave her friend a small pat on the back as Pike looked like he was going to explode of rage, he slumped back in her chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Tensions are high on the brink of war, but we are fighting the same side remember that.” Raven felt like she was being lectured but she saw the commander looking directly at Pike who didn’t look up at her. “You are excused for lunch.” Everyone got up and left the room. All but Clarke and Lexa. It was slightly awkward, neither knowing what the other wanted.

“I was just going to go over the plans, if you wish to join me.” Lexa spoke first, her demeanour had relaxed from the meeting and it reminded of Clarke of the times in their last life where they went over plans long after the others left. Clarke smiled softly and agreed to stay.

“I think I underestimated you Clarke.” Lexa admitted after going over the initial plan with her.

“Not just some space girl beauty huh?” Clarke asked her. She wasn’t sure why she brought up the memory, she knew Lexa wouldn’t remember calling her that. But to Clarke she remembered it like it was yesterday, the day when her loved died in her arms. The blond found out pretty quickly that Lexa had a funny side and once her walls had been broken down that morning and they shared a few intense moments, Lexa had the giggles.

 _“Just make sure you come back to me, my space girl beauty.”_ Lexa asked of her as she left the safety of the commander’s room. She would have given anything to go back to that moment and never left or taken the bullet instead of Lexa. As happy as she was that they were both back on the ground, it wasn’t the same she wanted her Lexa back. Or at least for this Lexa to love her back, first they had to take down the mountain and then Clarke would win her girl back.

“You are stronger than any of us know. I want you to fight by my side when we take down the mountain.” Lexa smiled at her, and it was a real smile not one hidden by the mask of the commander. They were alone in the room and that’s when Clarke realized this wasn’t the commander asking, but Lexa.

“It would be my honour.” Clarke smiled back, she felt lighter not so scared everything would go wrong after their moments in the war room. Clarke excused herself not wanting to intrude and left Lexa to go through the plans until she was called away by someone.


	21. twenty one

“Come with me Giff.” Raven found Clarke leaving the war room and wrapped her arm through the younger girls. All the information given to her was they were meeting someone. It was a quick walk through the town and into a house which Clarke felt uncomfortable entering not knowing who lived her. But she trusted Raven, so she let her lead her into it.

“Whoa what is all this? Are these mine?” Clarke asked looking at the table and the scattered papers full of her drawings of the mountain her war plans which were only now filled with even more detail and information.

“Yes, we made them even better.” Raven said spreading them out so she could see them all better.

“We?” Clarke asked still not understanding what was going and how these were done with such accurate information, especially for Raven who had only been in certain rooms and never to the tunnels.

“I can’t believe the two of you tried to hide it from me.” Clarke jumped at the sudden new voice, she turned to see Anya smiling at her, that made a lot more sense. “Also how dare you get all the credit from escaping the mountain when I did all the hard work last time.” Anya laughed as Clarke looked conflicted at what to say.

“Trust me, you did not want to be locked up again.” Clarke sat down at the table, feeling relief at who was around her.

“Maya too?” Raven asked, there was too much coincidence from her story of the mountain. Even though Maya helped her and her friends last time it wasn’t like this and the sudden revelation of a bunker shows she was digging.

“Yep, anyone else?” Clarke asked looking between them. They both shook their head. They spent the entire night going over the plans and any changes they’d made while she was gone. Abby would have been mad at the all nighter, considering Clarke’s collapse due to exhaustion the previous day. But they needed to get this done. They were presenting this to the council tomorrow, it was mostly the same as the other plan just more detail and a few kinks worked out. Once they were happy with it, they did get a few hours of sleep cuddled up on the couch before being woken by a messenger saying they were wanted by the commander.

…

“Tondc this is mount weather, can anyone read me?” Everyone stopped. The meeting was interrupted with the crackling of the radio. Raven, Clarke and Octavia jumped up from their seats and rushed to the corner of the room where the speaker sat. “Tondc this is mount weather, can anyone read me?”

“Bell?” Octavia asked through the box, she was smiling and knew that her brother would be okay. Even though both girls had told her he was okay last time nothing, but this call helped ease the anxiety she had.

“Octavia.” They heard the relief in his voice too.

“Please tell me you’re okay?” she asked, it had been days since anyone heard from him, longer than they thought it would be.

“Yeah I’m okay, are you guys good?” He asked them, they all nodded even though he couldn’t see them.

“Yes, we have everything on our side just waiting to march and the acid fog.” Clarke said. She didn’t want to pressure him because she knew what the mountain was like, but she needed him to know how soon this had to be done. “How are the kids?” Clarke asked talking about their friends stuck in the mountain.

“They have started taking people just like Maya thought, it will only get worse soon, so we need to hurry.” Bellamy said they all agreed with him.

“Maya said she can help with that, and she said if not we can at least blow it up.” Bellamy said sounding like it would only be a plan b, but it’s what they needed last time. She felt better leaving the mountain knowing that Maya was there to help keep her people safe and help with the mistakes made last time. “She also told me to tell you that she hacked into the weapons system and disabled it. So no matter how hard they try nothing will work.” Another weight lifted off Clarke’s shoulder, she knew that she wasn’t going to make the same mistake as last time and let Tondc go down, so she was glad it wouldn’t happen again.

“Stay safe Bell.” Octavia wished him well as they turned off the radio, both having this to go back to. They also didn’t want him to get caught so they left it brief.

“Are your people okay?” Lexa asked when they sat back at the table. The war leaders were gone leaving Lexa, Anya and the three girls in the room.

“Some are going missing like we predicted, it won’t be long until they take everyone else.” Clarke said with a sad voice.

“We march on the mountain the day after tomorrow, I have sent riders to each clan to get what they need and the warriors fighting. We will set up a boundary behind the fogs range and wait until it’s down and then we fight.” Lexa informed them and they agree that it was the time to do it. “Please take the rest of the day off, you have all put in the most work for this. Relax today and get mad tomorrow. The mountain will fall, these make sure of it.” Lexa pointed down to the new plans they spent the whole morning going over. Even though Lexa was confused to why they came so suddenly and how they were ready after one night she didn’t press for answers and let them describe the plan they all agreed on.

“Thank you heda, I hope we pull this off.” Clarke said before she followed the other girls out of the room leaving Lexa and Anya alone.

“You know she’s single.” Anya said raising an eyebrow at the younger girl. Anya knew about their history that she shared through Ravens storytelling, which she didn’t know if she believed at the start. Since Costia was killed Lexa was sure to be commander was to be alone. But watching the way they interacted and seeing the way Lexa looked at Clarke every time she entered the room or wasn’t looking at her, she knew Raven wasn’t lying. Lexa may not remember but her body seemed to, she was always close to the blond and instead of having other people send her messages Lexa would go out of her way to see the girl. To anyone else it was just Lexa being the commander, but to Anya who basically raised the girl in her early teens knew that it was more than that. The commander was smitten and was scared as hell about the feelings she had.

“What are you talking about?” Lexa asked trying to hide the blush forming on her cheeks, Anya had seen the green eyes follow the blond out of the room. Clarke was the only one to capture her attention in years, there was no way she would let this up.

“So you don’t think that the blondie is gorgeous?” Anya asked trying to get a rise out of her, and it was working. Lexa rolled her eyes she knew that was a tell when Lexa was irritated.

“I didn’t say that.” Lexa said causing Anya to laugh. Lexa was never one to be awkward and normally when she wanted something, she would go for it. Anya boiled it down to being on the brink of war or even that she was from the stars to not try her luck with the blond. Even though Lexa believed that she was to be alone she had needs and never had trouble bedding a girl. Which was why Anya found this too entertaining, Lexa was blushing over a girl, she hadn’t done this since Costia.

“After this war is over you should get to know her some more. And maybe don’t insult her this time.” Anya said and they both know she was thinking back to the dropship where she insulted her emotions. “And don’t give me any of that ‘to be commander it to be alone shit.’ That bold man wouldn’t know the first thing about love or being a commander.” Anya said, she was still mad that he killed her best friend, even though technically hadn’t done it yet. It didn’t make her not want to kick him off the top tower any less.

“You are a pain Anya.” Lexa rolled her eyes again and went back to the papers in front of her.

“Lex you told the girls to take a break, can’t we do the same? Take a walk or a swim, please? All we’ve done for a month is sit in this room and plan for a war.” Anya was bored of sitting all day and missed when they weren’t on the brink of war, which she couldn’t remember being very long.

“I am heda this is my job.” Lexa said fussing with the papers trying to look busy.

“What is reading the same stack of papers going to do? I know how angry you are and as much as that’s needed for this, it’s not good on your body. Let’s go hunting.” Anya said knowing it was one of the commander’s favorite activities growing up. It wasn’t the killing of the animal, more the chase and being in nature were the felt free it just be Lexa and Anya not the future heda and a general. 

“Okay.” Anya celebrated knowing this was a win. Even if it was only for a few hours. They told the guards where they were going and they insisted on none of them following, despite their hesitation they let Lexa and Anya walk into the forest alone.

…

“Lets go for a swim, Anya told me about a small lake a couple miles up.” Raven asked as soon as they got back to their room after being dismissed by the commander for the afternoon.

“We’ve been on the ground for almost two months and we haven’t done anything fun at all.” Octavia looked at Clarke with same pleading eyes raven was.

“I don’t have a bummed leg this time, I couldn’t do this last time.” Raven gave her a sweet smile Clarke knew she couldn’t say no to them. as much as she wanted to sleep it away, a fun day with her girls is just what the doctor would have ordered.

“Fine but if we get lost, I’m blaming you.” Clarke said pointing at Raven as she threw on a pair of shorts she had gotten from the town as she was told they were heading into warmer weather. Thirty minutes later than were leaving the camp and on the way to the lake Anya had told Raven about.

“What if there’s a giant snake in there?” Octavia asked as they arrived at the lake.

“There’s not.” Clarke and Octavia jumped at the sudden voice coming from the tree line. They turned around and saw Lexa and Anya walk out. They looked different was the first thing that went through all girls heads. Neither of them was wearing war paint and while they hard armor on it wasn’t the big bulky kind they normally wore. The next think to go through Clarke’s head was how beautiful Lexa was, she almost lost her breath looking into her green eyes. She looked so soft without the paint, it reminded Clarke of the last day she saw her. Suddenly flashes of the commander went through her head and Clarke did lose her breath. She looked away trying to wipe the images from her mind.

“Did you set this up?” Octavia whispered to Raven as she winked, and the smirk on her lips gave it all away. Octavia couldn’t help but laugh and pat her on the back. 

“We we’re going hunting and saw you three walking down here alone.” Lexa started to explain.

“So, you thought to stalk us?” Raven shot back at her with a playful smile to let her know it was all in good spirits.

“Exactly couldn’t let the three most important ark people wander into the forest and never come back.” Anya said with a giggle. Raven wanted to make a joke about the time Clarke disappeared for a few months but when she saw the sad look on her face she chose not to.

“We were just going to take a swim, if you care to join us?” Raven asked sending a wink to the girls. Anya and Raven had been spending a lot of time together lately and they didn’t know if it was just the newness of each other or something more, they were constantly flirting and all three other girls had picked up on it. Clarke playfully rolled her eyes at her friend, causing Octavia to laugh and Lexa let out a small chuckle making Clarke blush.

“What you say heda, want to have a little fun, you used to be so fun?” Anya teased her, Lexa was a troublemaker kid but being heda came with sacrifices and she knew that. But Anya missed her best friend who would pull pranks and go hunting with her. Lexa felt the anticipation running through her body and she wanted to throw cation to the wind and jump into the lake. But she knew she had a responsibility, that she gave up her right to fun when she took the flame. She looked up to Clarke who was giving her the same look as Anya, she had enough trouble denying her and now she had two girls begging her to let go and have fun. She looked around and saw how secluded it was, how hidden the lake was. Even when they were kids no one came here, Raven only knew it because Anya gave it up. All it took was one more look from Clarke and a smile forced on her lips, maybe life was about more than just surviving.


	22. twenty two

“I see why you’re so hung up on Lexa.” Raven said fanning herself with her hand. “I’m over commander heart eyes I think her new name is commander abs, cause damn girl.” Raven continued. Clarke was surprised that she hadn’t been like this the whole afternoon to her face, so she let Raven ramble, it made Clarke giggle.

They five girls had spent majority of the afternoon in the lake swimming around and relaxing their muscles with some water therapy before the war begins. They all felt like teenagers again, they had gossiped, ranted, and just talked over the past few hours. It didn’t surprise Clarke that Lexa wasn’t the one leading the chats and she would rather sit and listen to the others talk, but she was surprised when Lexa shared the story of Costia as well as a couple sex stories as the others did, which stung Clarkes heart, Lexa didn’t miss when she cringed at the stories as the others laughed. They all felt lighter, none of them had a big group of friends last time, they were always too concerned on fighting some war or bad guy, but this time they wouldn’t make that mistake and they would lean on each other.

“Feel free to join us in the meeting room for dinner tonight, no war talk I promise.” Lexa gave them all a small smile as they went their separate ways once getting back to the heart of Tondc. They accepted the offer but first went to their room to get change after the day in the sun.

“Clarkeys on cloud nine over there. Hasn’t stopped smiling all day.” Octavia teased her as they were back in their room getting changed for the cold breeze that normally hits at night.

“This, today, is exactly what I pictured on the ground being like. Having fun relaxing under the sun with friends. That’s what I want after the mountain. No hiding in the forest, or letting Pike fuck us over. We deserve peace.” Clarke was angry and she knew the girls didn’t deserve her outburst, but she knew that, but they were there and knew that she would blow off soon.

“Your girlfriend invited us to dinner, come on.” Raven helped the blond stand up and they made their way to the meeting room. Clarke had calmed down by the time they were there and when she made eye contact with Lexa a smile fell upon her lips.

“Hey.” Anya greeted them as they entered the meeting room an hour after leaving them. they had set up a spread of food, nothing like the feasts that were common but more than enough for the five of them.

They again fell into easy conversation, talking about their childhoods and the differences between the three ark girls. Which surprisingly wasn’t a taboo topic to talk about. Everyone seemed to have moved on from their trauma and wanted to live in the future. Of course, it still hurt, and they all thought about it all the time they used it to motivate them not hold them back. They were an hour into dinner when there was a knock on the door. Lexa called for them to enter and he announced that Aster was back at camp. Clarke was ready to leave the hall and find her friend. But he entered the room quickly after, Clarke shot off her chair and met the boy in the doorway. Thankfully he caught her in his arms, and she wrapped hers around his neck. She found herself a little overwhelmed at the emotions, she knew he was safe, but she scared he wasn’t and it would all be her fault. Lexa also felt overwhelmed, but at the jealousy that filled her veins watching him hold Clarke like that.

“It’s good to have you home Aster kom trikru, I am glad you made it out of the mountain.” Lexa stood up and ignored the stinging in her body as he left her go but she stayed close. Lexa held out her arm and shook his in solace of what he’s been through. “Please join us, Clarke has been waiting for you to come back.” He accepted her offer and made up a plate as he sat by her side.

The mood shifted, Lexa could feel it, or maybe she was imagining it. But it felt different or maybe it was just her, but she felt Clarkes eyes on her, even though every time looked up Clarke was looking away. After another hour Aster had left to go get a full night rest before going over the plans tomorrow when the other clans arrived. Anya and the other girls left shortly after, but Clarke stayed behind. They sat across from each other both starting at their mostly empty plate, that same tension was in the air. So maybe it was just them.

“You’re jealous.” Clarke said and Lexa couldn’t tell if it was a question of not. They stared at each other Clarke was waiting for Lexa to say something and Lexa was waiting for her brain to process a real answer. She was not used to someone being so upfront with her, she liked it, but it caught her slightly off guard.

“He’s cute, he seems into you. Do you feel the same?” Lexa asked trying to hind the emotion in her voice. She had no idea why she was being so affected by the blond, but it wasn’t cute.

“He is pretty cute, but I’m not interested in him.” Clarke said with a sly look. She told herself that she wouldn’t make the first move, not knowing all she knew. But she never said she wouldn’t not make her feelings known. Clarke was getting tired and as much as she wanted to stay and push the commander to give something up, she needed to sleep and make a good impression on the other clans. She stood up and made her way to the door, the scuffling of the other chair made her want to stop and turn away, but she wouldn’t unless Lexa said something.

“Clarke, wait.” There it was. Clarke tried to hide the smirk as she turned on her heels and saw the commander making her way over to the blond. “You’re right I was jealous.” Lexa admitted and she rolled her eyes when the blond smiled at the revelation. “You are a pain sky girl.” She couldn’t take it anymore, after today opening up to the girls and having fun her rules were thrown away and she really did throw cation to the wind.

A hand reached out and held Clarkes cheek and she traced the smooth skin with her thumb as she looked at Clarke. She watched her waiting for the blond to pull away and laugh that Lexa was going to kiss her. But there was none of that Lexa could have sworn she felt Clarke moving forward. She closed her eyes and took the leap and connect her lips. Lexa’s lips covered Clarke’s top and she felt Clarke take a shaky breath before kissing her back. Lexa had never felt anything like the kiss, her lips were tingling, and her mind felt like it was racing with thought, but the only thing on her mind was the blond she was kissing. Clarke let herself fall into the kiss and moved a hand up to the base of Lexa’s neck, she instantly felt the pounding heartbeat under the skin.

Their kiss was slow and full of unsaid passion. Clarke couldn’t help but drew the similarities to their last first kiss. But it was so different that Clarke felt herself smile into the kiss. Last time they were still on the brink of the war but Tondc had been destroyed and Lexa had basically confessed her feeling after threating to take Octavia’s life. But this kiss was based on a peaceful day and in a way jealous which Clarke could only help but think was better than death. Clarke felt Lexa turn her head to deepen the kiss, which she wanted, god she wanted to do so. But they couldn’t, they were stood in a meeting room where they would be discussing how to kill the least amount of people early tomorrow morning. The last thing she wanted to do was pull away because she knew how crushed the girl was last time.

“Lexa.” Clarke whisper and held her hand out straight against her neck gaining her attention. Clarke could feel Lexa panic, so she raised her hand and held the side of her neck carefully while caressing the skin with her thumb as Lexa had done before the kiss.

“I’m sorry.” Clarke felt her take a step back, but she took it with her and kept her hand planted on her neck. Without thinking Clarke kissed her again, just a quick peck, which confused Lexa, but she didn’t complain.

“Trust me when I say that I wish we could continue. But we have to be up early tomorrow, and I know that if we take this any further. I will be distracted fighting this big old war we’ve set up so wonderfully.” Clarke smiled when she did. They both knew that they were already distracted but Lexa had to agree. This could wait, even though she didn’t want it to. “Walk me back to my room?” Clarke asked sweetly and batted her eyes at the commander who gave her a quick peck and agreed to walk her to the door.

That was the first night in months that Clarke slept through the night without the slightest ruminate of a nightmare.

…

“Clarke Griffin got some last night.” Raven hooted as the blond sat up in her bed the next morning. She instantly laid back down and covered her head under the blankets. Which only prompted Raven to jump onto her and straddle her waist as she wrestled to get the blanket back down. Clarke lost and was out of breath by the time she was exposed to the world again.

“Clarke Griffin got a goodnight kiss last night, that was all.” With the confession both girls squealed. Octavia ran over to the and sat on the side the bed. They both stared at her waiting for her to reveal all the information.

“Do tell.” Octavia pressed her when she kept quiet. Her cheeks were rosy with embarrassment, but she wore a permanent smile, so they kept pressing her.

“I called her out on being jealous. Then I felt her testing the waters by asking if I was into As. When I said no, we sort of sat there and I got up to leave, that’s when she stopped me and we kissed. I stopped it because I knew I wouldn’t held back.” Clarke opened up to them. she was glad she had these girls. It wasn’t the same, keeping a crush to your friends, saying it out loud made it all the more exciting.

“You’ve only done it once with her, girl have you seen her. You have to pick up your game.” Raven teased her, she was still sitting on Clarke, who easily pushed her over and got out of bed. She was eager to see Lexa again. But she knew that yesterday was a rare occasion and today meant war. Which also meant that she would be in full commander mode, any feelings would have to wait until after the fall of the mountain.


End file.
